Refrigerator and air duct cleaning method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator and an air duct cleaning method thereof, the refrigerator comprises an air duct, and the refrigerator is characterized by further comprising a cleaning pipeline used for spraying cleaning liquid to the air duct; the water mist sensor is used for detecting cleaning liquid residues in the air duct after cleaning is completed; the dehumidification assembly is used for removing the cleaning liquid remaining in the air duct; and the drainage assembly is used for draining the cleaning liquid. According to the refrigerator, the water mist sensor arranged in the air duct is used for detecting the residual cleaning fluid in the air duct, and the dehumidifying assembly is used for removing the residual cleaning fluid, so that the residual cleaning fluid is prevented from being frozen in the air duct in the refrigerating process of the refrigerator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of household appliances, in particular to a refrigerator and a method for cleaning its air duct. Background Art

[0002] A refrigerator is a common household appliance that can provide a constant low-temperature storage environment for storing food and other items. The cold air after heat exchange through the evaporator is blown into each chamber of the refrigerator via the air duct under the action of a fan. If dirt such as dust and bacteria accumulates in the air duct, it is likely to cause a decline in the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator and the generation of peculiar smell in the storage compartment. At this time, it is generally necessary to disassemble the refrigerator to clean the air duct, which is time-consuming and laborious.

[0003] In view of this, a cleaning pipe can be preset in the air duct, and the cleaning liquid is sprayed into the air duct through the cleaning pipe to achieve the cleaning of the air duct. However, after cleaning the air duct, it is very likely that the cleaning liquid remains in the air duct. The present invention aims to reduce the residue of the cleaning liquid in the air duct. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a refrigerator, including an air duct, characterized in that: the refrigerator further includes: a cleaning pipeline for spraying cleaning liquid into the air duct; a drainage assembly for draining the cleaning liquid; a water mist sensor for detecting the residue of the cleaning liquid in the air duct after cleaning is completed; a dehumidification assembly for removing the cleaning liquid remaining in the air duct.

[0005] As a further improvement of the present invention, the air duct includes a main air duct and a diversion duct connecting the main air duct and a plurality of air duct outlets. The main air duct extends along the height direction, and the diversion duct extends obliquely upward from the main air duct to the air duct outlet.

[0006] As a further improvement of the present invention, the diversion duct includes an air inlet section communicating with the main air duct and an air outlet section communicating the air inlet section and the air duct outlet, and the inclination angle of the air inlet section is greater than that of the air outlet section. The water mist sensor is located at the connection of the air inlet section and the air outlet section.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the cleaning pipeline is arranged along the main air duct and each diversion duct, and the water mist sensor is located at the intersection position of the cleaning pipelines.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, the drainage assembly includes a drainage groove opened along the lower edge of the air duct and a drainage port located at the lowest point of the air duct. The water mist sensor is located on both sides of the drainage port.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention: the dehumidification assembly is a fan arranged in the air duct.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the dehumidification component is a heating wire, and the heating wire is arranged along the air duct.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the cleaning pipeline includes a cleaning pipe and spray heads arranged at intervals on the cleaning pipe. The cleaning pipe is fixed to the air duct through the spray heads, and the spray heads have connecting parts fixed to the air duct. The cleaning pipe is located on the side of the connecting part away from the inner wall of the air duct.

[0012] The present invention also provides a method for cleaning a refrigerator air duct, which includes the following steps:

[0013] Spray a cleaning liquid into the air duct through the cleaning pipeline;

[0014] The cleaning liquid flows downstream along the air duct and is discharged outside the air duct through the drainage component;

[0015] Turn on the dehumidification component to remove the residual cleaning liquid. The water mist sensor detects the residual cleaning liquid in the air duct. When the residual amount detected by the water mist sensor is less than the preset value, turn off the dehumidification component.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, the dehumidification component is a fan. Turn on the fan to accelerate the discharge of the residual cleaning liquid; or, the dehumidification component is a heating wire arranged along the air duct. Turn on the heating wire to evaporate the residual cleaning liquid.

[0017] Advantages of the present invention: The present invention detects the residual cleaning liquid in the air duct through the water mist sensor arranged in the air duct, and removes the residual cleaning liquid through the dehumidification component, thereby preventing the residual cleaning liquid from freezing in the air duct during the refrigeration process of the refrigerator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the present invention. The schematic embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation to the present invention. In the drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the flow direction structure of the cleaning liquid of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a fixing method of the cleaning pipeline of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another fixing method of the cleaning pipeline of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5Schematic diagram of the air duct structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 is Figure 5 The enlarged structure diagram of A in;

[0025] Figure 7 is Figure 5 The enlarged structure diagram of B in. Specific embodiments

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments of the present invention and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. The examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0029] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified and limited, it should be noted that the terms "installation", "connection", "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection, or it can be the communication inside two elements. It can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0030] As Figures 1 to 7 shown, the refrigerator of the present invention includes an air duct plate 100, an air duct 200 and a cleaning pipeline 300.

[0031] Among them, the air duct plate 100 is arranged inside the refrigerator cabinet. The air duct plate 100 and an air duct cover plate (not shown in the figure) form the air duct 200. The evaporator in the refrigerator generates cold air after heat exchange, and the cold air enters the refrigerator compartment through the air duct 200.

[0032] The air duct 200 includes a main air duct and a plurality of shunt air ducts located on both sides of the main air duct and communicating with the main air duct. The shunt air ducts are arranged at intervals in the height direction. The shunt air ducts are used to evenly shunt the cold air in the main air duct and introduce it into the refrigerator compartment. The side of the shunt air duct away from the main air duct is an air outlet communicating with the refrigerator compartment.

[0033] The shunt air duct is divided into an air inlet section connected to the main air duct and an air outlet section connecting the air inlet section and the air outlet. The air inlet section has a certain inclination angle to facilitate the shunting of cold air into it. The air outlet section is relatively gentle to facilitate the smooth export of cold air.

[0034] The shunt air duct extends obliquely upward from the main air duct to the air outlet of the air duct. In this way, the cleaning liquid sprayed into the shunt air duct can flow down along the shunt air duct and converge towards the main air duct, and finally be discharged through the drainage assembly 600, preventing the cleaning liquid from remaining in the shunt air duct.

[0035] The cleaning pipeline 300 is located inside the air duct 200. When dirt such as dust and bacteria accumulates in the air duct 200, it is easy to cause the generation of peculiar smells in the storage compartment. Moreover, if there is an odor sensor in the storage compartment, the air blown into the storage compartment from the air duct 200 is doped with peculiar smells, which will affect the detection effect of the odor sensor. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the air duct 200. By injecting cleaning liquid into the cleaning pipeline 300 and spraying the cleaning liquid to various positions of the air duct 200, the overall cleaning of the air duct 200 can be realized, thereby ensuring the cleanliness inside the air duct 200.

[0036] A water blocking member 201 is also arranged at the air outlet of the air duct 200. The water blocking member 201 is used to close the air outlet during the cleaning of the air duct 200, thereby preventing the cleaning liquid from entering the refrigerator compartment from the air outlet during the cleaning process.

[0037] The water blocking member 201 includes a driving member 201a and a water blocking plate 201b connected to the driving member 201a. The driving member 201a drives the water blocking plate 201b to move in the height direction to open or close the air outlet. An installation cavity is formed on the refrigerator 700. The driving member 201a is fixed in the installation cavity. The driving member 201a includes a driving motor and a rotating gear connected to the output end of the driving motor. A rack meshing with the rotating gear is arranged on the water blocking plate 201b. When it is necessary to open or close the air outlet of the air duct 200, the driving motor is turned on. The driving motor operates to drive the rotating gear at the output end to rotate. The rotating gear rotates to drive the rack meshing with it to move upward or downward, and then drives the water blocking plate 201b to move upward into the installation cavity to open the air outlet or move downward into the air duct 200 to close the air outlet.

[0038] A water guiding portion is arranged on the surface of the bottom of the water blocking plate 201b facing the air duct 200. The water guiding portion has an inclined surface extending toward the air duct 200 from top to bottom. When the water blocking plate 201b closes the air outlet, the bottom surface of the water guiding portion abuts against the bottom surface of the air duct 200. The cleaning liquid sprayed onto the water blocking plate 201b from the cleaning pipeline 300 flows back into the air duct 200 along the water guiding portion.

[0039] In this embodiment, a box body is arranged in the refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator. An independent cleaning water cavity and a cleaning agent cavity are arranged in the box body. The cleaning water cavity is used to hold cleaning water, and the cleaning agent cavity is used to hold cleaning agent. The cleaning water and the cleaning agent are mixed to form cleaning liquid. A water supply pipe is connected to the box body. The water supply pipe includes a first liquid inlet end communicated with the cleaning water cavity, a second liquid inlet end communicated with the cleaning agent cavity, and an outlet end connected to the cleaning pipeline 300. A cleaning pump is arranged on the water supply pipe. The cleaning water and the cleaning agent in the box body are connected to the cleaning pipeline 300 located in the air duct 200 through the cleaning pump. The cleaning pipeline 300 then sprays the cleaning liquid into the air duct 200, thereby completing the cleaning of the air duct 200.

[0040] Further, the water supply pipe includes a main water supply pipe connected to the cleaning pipeline 300, a first branch pipe communicated with the main water supply pipe and extending into the cleaning water cavity, and a second branch pipe communicated with the first branch pipe and extending into the cleaning agent cavity. The cleaning water and the cleaning agent are mixed to form cleaning liquid and sprayed into the air duct 200. The cleaning pump is located on the main water supply pipe. The inner diameters of the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe can be set according to the mixing ratio of the cleaning water and the cleaning agent. In this way, the proportional mixing of the cleaning water and the cleaning agent can be realized by the cleaning pump located on the main water supply pipe.

[0041] A connecting valve is further provided on the second branch pipe, which can supply the mixed cleaning liquid or cleaning water alone to the cleaning pipeline 300.

[0042] By placing the box body storing the cleaning liquid in the cold storage room, it is convenient for the installation of the box body and subsequent addition of the cleaning liquid; at the same time, the box body located in the cold storage room can effectively reduce the temperature of the cleaning liquid, prevent the loss of cold in the air duct 200 during the cleaning of the air duct 200, and additionally increase the energy consumption of the refrigerator.

[0043] Furthermore, the cleaning pipeline 300 is arranged along the air duct 200, and the extending direction of the cleaning pipeline 300 is consistent with the trend of the air duct 200. The cleaning pipeline 300 sprays the cleaning liquid to various positions of the air duct 200, so as to realize the overall cleaning of the air duct 200 and prevent dust and bacteria from gathering in the air duct 200.

[0044] The cleaning pipeline 300 includes a cleaning pipe 301 and spray heads 302 arranged at intervals on the cleaning pipe 301. The cleaning pipe 301 is arranged in a tree shape along the air duct 200. The cleaning pipe 301 is connected to the box body located in the cold storage room through a cleaning pump, so as to divert the cleaning liquid in the box body into the cleaning pipe 301, and finally spray it into the air duct through the spray heads 302.

[0045] In this embodiment, the spray head 302 adopts an umbrella-shaped spray head. A plurality of groups of water spray openings are arranged circumferentially on the spray head 302. An outlet connecting the cleaning pipe 301 and the water spray openings is arranged at the center of the spray head 302. The cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipe 301 flows into the spray head 302 through the outlet, and then is sprayed out through the water spray openings to clean the air duct 200. A pressure valve is arranged at the outlet. When the water pressure value at the outlet is less than the set value, the pressure valve closes the outlet; when the water pressure value at the outlet is greater than the set value, the pressure valve is pushed up, and the cleaning liquid flows into the spray head 302 and is sprayed out from the water spray openings, so as to ensure that the spray head 302 has a certain spraying range and a certain water pressure value to improve the cleaning efficiency of the air duct 200.

[0046] Furthermore, the water pressure value in the cleaning pipe 301 is proportional to the size of the air duct 200, that is, the larger the size of the air duct 200, the larger the set pressure value of the pressure valve arranged in the spray head 302, so as to increase the spraying range and spraying water pressure of the spray head 302, realize the overall cleaning of the air duct 200, and prevent dirt residue.

[0047] The end of the cleaning pipe 301 close to the air outlet of the air duct 200 is provided with the spray head 302, and the distance between the spray head 302 and the air outlet is greater than the spraying range of the spray head 302. In this way, the cleaning liquid sprayed by the spray head 302 will not enter the air outlet or even the compartment, preventing the residue of the cleaning liquid.

[0048] The distance between the spray heads 302 located in the main air duct is smaller than the distance between the spray heads 302 located in the shunt air duct. The main air duct is relatively wide and has a large area, and a large number of the spray heads 302 are distributed therein; the shunt air duct is relatively narrow and has a small area, and a small number of the spray heads 302 are distributed therein, so as to achieve full-range coverage spraying of the air duct 200.

[0049] Refer to Figures 1 to 4 , in an embodiment, the air duct plate 100 is provided with a groove 101, and the cleaning pipe 301 is embedded in the groove 101 to achieve fixation. At least part of the cleaning pipe 301 is embedded in the groove 101, and the depth of the groove 101 can be adjusted adaptively according to needs.

[0050] Refer to Figures 1 to 3 , the groove 101 can be opened along the middle position or the edge position of the air duct 200. When the groove 101 is opened along the middle position of the air duct 200, the cleaning pipe 301 is fixed at the middle position of the air duct 200, and the spray head 302 can spray the cleaning liquid evenly around, so that the cleaning pipe 301 has the largest spraying range and the highest cleaning efficiency; when the groove 101 is opened along the edge position of the air duct 200, the cleaning pipe 301 is fixed at the edge position of the air duct 200, and the spray head 302 sprays in a fan shape upward or downward, which can reduce the influence of the cleaning pipe 301 on the air supply of the air duct 200.

[0051] Preferably, the groove 101 located in the main air duct is opened along the middle of the main air duct, and the spray head 302 located in the main air duct is circular and has a number of liquid spraying ports distributed along the circumference. The groove 101 located in the shunt air duct is opened along the upper edge of the shunt air duct, and the spray head 302 located in the shunt air duct is fan-shaped. The cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipe 301 sprays in a fan shape downward with the liquid inlet as the center, so as to reduce the obstruction of the cleaning pipe 301 to the backflow of the cleaning liquid, improve the backflow efficiency of the cleaning liquid, and prevent the residue of the cleaning liquid in the air duct 200.

[0052] Refer to Figure 4, the groove 101 can also be opened on the side of the air duct plate 100 facing away from the air duct 200. The opening position of the groove 101 corresponds to the air duct 200. The cleaning pipe 301 is embedded in the groove 101 to hide the cleaning pipe 301, and at the same time, it does not affect the circulation of the refrigerated air in the air duct 200. The nozzle 302 passes through the air duct plate 100 and is exposed in the air duct 200, so as to spray the cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipe 301 into the air duct 200 through the nozzle 302. And the position where the nozzle 302 passes through the air duct plate 100 is sealed. Hiding the cleaning pipe 301 on the side of the air duct plate 100 facing away from the air duct 200 can prevent the refrigerated air in the air duct 200 from freezing the residual cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipe 301.

[0053] In other embodiments, the cleaning pipe 301 can also be fixed by the nozzle 302. The nozzles 302 are arranged at intervals along the air duct 200 and are fixed in the air duct 200 by means of inlaying, adsorption, etc. The cleaning pipe 301 is fixed with the nozzle 302 as the positioning point, and there is no need to open the groove 101. The nozzle 302 can be arranged at the middle or edge position of the air duct 200, and the layout position of the cleaning pipe 301 is defined by the installation position of the nozzle 302. For details, reference can be made to the previous embodiment.

[0054] The present invention further includes a water mist sensor 400 for detecting the residual cleaning liquid in the air duct 200 after cleaning. The water mist sensor 400 is arranged at a position in the air duct 200 where the cleaning liquid is likely to remain.

[0055] Specifically, the water mist sensor 400 is located at the position with the smallest inclination angle of the air duct 200. In this embodiment, the water mist sensor 400 is located at the lower edge of the connection between the air inlet section and the air outlet section, where the inclination angle is small and the cleaning liquid is likely to remain.

[0056] When the cleaning pipe 301 is fixed in the air duct 200 by being embedded in the groove 101, the water mist sensor 400 is also located at the intersection of the cleaning pipes 301. The cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle 302 flows down along the inner wall of the air duct 200 and may accumulate at the intersection position of the cleaning pipes 301 due to the blockage of the cleaning pipes 301. Therefore, the water mist sensor 400 is arranged here to monitor the residual cleaning liquid.

[0057] The dehumidifying component 500 is turned on when the water mist sensor 400 detects that the amount of cleaning liquid remaining in the air duct 200 is greater than a preset value, so as to remove the cleaning liquid remaining in the air duct 200, thereby preventing the cleaning liquid from remaining in the air duct 200 and freezing in the air duct 200 during the subsequent refrigeration process of the refrigerator.

[0058] Further, the dehumidifying component 500 is a blower provided in the air duct 200. The blower is located in the main air duct. After the air duct 200 is cleaned, the blower is turned on to accelerate the discharge of the remaining cleaning liquid in the air duct 200. Under the action of the blower, the remaining cleaning liquid gradually gathers and is discharged.

[0059] Of course, in other embodiments, the dehumidifying component 500 can also adopt a heating wire, which is arranged along the air duct 200. After the air duct 200 is cleaned, the heating wire is turned on to evaporate the remaining cleaning liquid.

[0060] The drainage component 600 is used to drain the cleaning liquid. The drainage component 600 includes a drainage groove 601 opened along the lower edge of the air duct 200 and a drainage port 602 located at the lowest point of the air duct 200.

[0061] The drainage groove 601 extends along the lower edge of the air duct 200 to the drainage port 602. The drainage groove 601 is used to guide the cleaning liquid sprayed out from the cleaning pipe 301. When the air duct 200 needs to be cleaned, the cleaning liquid is introduced into the cleaning pipe 301, and the cleaning liquid is sprayed into the air duct 200 through the cleaning pipe 301 to clean the air duct 200. The cleaning liquid flows down along the inner wall of the air duct 200 to the drainage groove 601 at the lower edge of the air duct 200, and finally gathers along the drainage groove 601 to the drainage port 602 at the bottom of the air duct 200 and is discharged.

[0062] The depth of the drainage groove 601 is 0.5 - 1 cm. The depth of the drainage groove 201 can be determined according to the area of the air duct 200 and the flow value of the cleaning pipeline 300. By opening the drainage groove 601, the cleaning liquid can be effectively prevented from remaining in the air duct 200.

[0063] Further, the water mist sensors 400 are also arranged on both sides of the drainage port 602. The water mist sensors 400 at this position can detect the discharge situation of the cleaning liquid and prevent the drainage port 602 from being blocked and unable to discharge the cleaning liquid in time.

[0064] The present invention also provides a cleaning method, which includes the following steps:

[0065] When the refrigerator air duct 200 needs to be cleaned, first close the air outlet of the air duct 200. Seal the air outlet through the water blocking member 201 to prevent the cleaning liquid from entering the refrigerator compartment from the air outlet during the cleaning process.

[0066] Spray cleaning water into the air duct 200 to moisten the air duct 200. Close the connection valve on the second branch pipe. The cleaning pump starts to pressurize and extract the cleaning water in the first box body and introduce it into the cleaning pipe 301. When the pressure value in the cleaning pipe 301 reaches the set pressure value, the pressure valve of the spray head 302 opens, and spray cleaning water into the air duct 200. The spraying time is 20 s to moisten the entire air duct 200.

[0067] After the moistening is completed, open the connection valve on the second branch pipe. The cleaning pump starts to pressurize and extract the cleaning water in the first box body and the cleaning agent in the second box body. The two are mixed to form a cleaning liquid and introduced into the cleaning pipe 301, and then sprayed onto the air duct 200 through the spray head 302. The spraying time is 30 s. Among them, the mixing ratio of the cleaning agent and the cleaning water is 1:30.

[0068] When the cleaning agent dissolves the stains and odors in the air duct 200, close the connection valve on the second branch pipe again, and separately introduce cleaning water into the cleaning pipe 301 and spray it into the air duct 200 to rinse the air duct 200. The rinsing time is 40 s.

[0069] After the rinsing is completed, reserve 30 s for drainage, and then turn on the dehumidification component 500 to accelerate the evaporation of the residual liquid in the air duct 200. During this process, the water mist sensor 400 in the air duct 200 monitors the liquid residue situation at various places in the air duct 200. When the water mist signal values feedback by the water mist sensors 400 at various places reach below the preset value, turn off the dehumidification component 500 and reopen the air outlet of the air duct 200, and the cleaning is completed.

[0070] The cleaning water and the cleaning liquid during the cleaning process flow down along the inner wall of the air duct 200 and converge at the drain port 602 at the bottom of the air duct 200, and finally are discharged through an external pipeline.

[0071] Furthermore, the inventor found through research that if there is liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 301 after the cleaning, during the subsequent refrigeration process of the refrigerator, the liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 301 will freeze, causing the cleaning pipe 301 to be blocked or even burst. To avoid the occurrence of the above risks, the present invention adopts but is not limited to the following solutions.

[0072] In the first type of solution, after the cleaning is completed, empty the liquid in the cleaning pipe 301.

[0073] In one embodiment, the cleaning pipe 301 located in the flow dividing channel extends obliquely upward from the main air duct to the air outlet, and the connection point of the cleaning pipe 301 and the water supply pipe is located at the lowest point of the cleaning pipe 301. In this way, after the cleaning is completed, the liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 301 will naturally flow back into the water supply pipe under the action of gravity, thereby preventing the remaining liquid from freezing and causing the cleaning pipe 301 to be blocked or even burst.

[0074] In another embodiment, a water leakage hole is opened at the downward bending part of the cleaning pipe 301. The liquid at the downward bending part of the cleaning pipe 301 cannot flow back into the water supply pipe naturally, so a water leakage hole is opened here to allow the remaining liquid to drain into the air duct 200. And the aperture of the water leakage hole is relatively small, preferably 0.2 - 0.5 cm, which has little influence on the internal water pressure of the cleaning pipe 301, preventing the internal water pressure of the cleaning pipe 301 from not reaching the set value of the pressure valve during the cleaning process and unable to realize the spray cleaning of the air duct 200 by the spray head 302.

[0075] In another embodiment, a pressure reducing valve is provided at the downward bending part of the cleaning pipe 301. When the cleaning pump supplies cleaning liquid into the cleaning pipe 301 for cleaning, the internal water pressure of the cleaning pipe 301 is relatively high, and the pressure reducing valve remains closed, while the pressure valve opens to spray the cleaning liquid through the spray head 302; after the cleaning is completed, the internal water pressure of the cleaning pipe 301 decreases, the pressure valve closes, and the pressure reducing valve opens, and the liquid remaining in the bending part drains into the air duct 200 through the pressure reducing valve.

[0076] In another embodiment, the cleaning pump uses a two-way water pump. After the cleaning is completed, the cleaning pump pumps the cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 301 back into the box body, thereby preventing the remaining liquid from freezing and causing the cleaning pipe 301 to be blocked or even burst.

[0077] In the second type of solution, it is to prevent the liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 301 from freezing at low temperatures.

[0078] In one embodiment, heat preservation treatment is carried out on the cleaning pipe 301, and a heat preservation layer is provided on the outer layer of the cleaning pipe 301, thereby preventing the liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 301 from freezing.

[0079] In another embodiment, the pipe wall of the cleaning pipe 301 includes an outer wall, an inner wall, and a vacuum cavity located between the outer wall and the inner wall. The vacuum cavity can effectively isolate the heat exchange between the cold air in the air duct 200 and the liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 301, thereby preventing the liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 301 from freezing.

[0080] In another embodiment, a heating wire is used to provide heat to the cleaning pipe 301 to prevent the liquid remaining therein from freezing. The heating wire can be disposed inside the cleaning pipe 301 or arranged along the position where the cleaning pipe 301 is located. When the refrigerator is refrigerating, a certain amount of heat is provided to the cleaning pipe 301 through the heating wire, thereby preventing the liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 301 from freezing. A temperature sensor is also disposed inside the cleaning pipe 301 to keep the temperature of the liquid therein not lower than the freezing point, so as to avoid overheating of the heating wire, wasting energy and even causing a decrease in the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator.

[0081] In another embodiment, a material for lowering the freezing point of the cleaning liquid, such as salt, alcohol substances, etc., is added to the cleaning water cavity. Preferably, alcohol substances such as methanol and ethanol are added, which not only lower the freezing point of the cleaning liquid but also play a role in sterilization during the cleaning process.

[0082] All the above solutions for preventing the cleaning pipe 301 from being blocked or even bursting due to liquid freezing can be used in any combination of two or more.

[0083] In summary, the present invention realizes the collection of the cleaning liquid sprayed into the air duct 200 through the drainage groove 201 opened along the lower edge of the air duct 200, and guides the cleaning liquid to the drainage port 202 below the air duct 200 and then discharges it, thereby preventing the cleaning liquid from remaining in the air duct 200.

[0084] It should be understood that although this specification is described according to embodiments, not every embodiment only contains an independent technical solution. This narrative way of the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0085] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific descriptions of the feasible embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising an air duct (200), characterized in that: The refrigerator further includes: A cleaning pipe (300) for spraying cleaning liquid into the air duct (200); A drainage assembly (600) for draining the cleaning liquid; A water mist sensor (400) for detecting the residual cleaning liquid in the air duct (200) after cleaning; A dehumidification assembly (500) for removing the cleaning liquid remaining in the air duct (200).

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air duct (200) includes a main air duct and a diversion duct connecting the main air duct and a plurality of air duct air outlets. The main air duct extends in the height direction, and the diversion duct extends obliquely upward from the main air duct to the air duct air outlet.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The diversion duct includes an air inlet section communicating with the main air duct and an air outlet section communicating the air inlet section and the air duct air outlet. The inclination angle of the air inlet section is greater than that of the air outlet section, and the water mist sensor (400) is located at the connection of the air inlet section and the air outlet section.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cleaning pipe (300) is arranged along the main air duct and each diversion duct, and the water mist sensor (400) is located at the intersection position of the cleaning pipe (300).

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drainage assembly (600) includes a drainage groove (601) opened along the lower edge of the air duct (200) and a drainage port (602) located at the lowest point of the air duct (200). The water mist sensor (400) is located on both sides of the drainage port (602).

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dehumidification assembly (500) is a blower provided in the air duct (200).

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dehumidification assembly (500) is a heating wire, and the heating wire is arranged along the air duct (200).

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning pipe (300) includes a cleaning tube (301) and nozzles (302) spaced apart on the cleaning tube (301). The cleaning tube (301) is fixed to the air duct (200) through the nozzles (302), and the nozzles (302) have a connecting portion fixed to the air duct (200). The cleaning tube (301) is located on the side of the connecting portion away from the inner wall of the air duct (200).

9. A method for cleaning the air duct of the refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-8, comprising the following steps: Spray a cleaning liquid into the air duct (200) through a cleaning pipe (300); The cleaning liquid flows downward along the air duct (200) and is discharged through a drainage assembly (600); Turn on a dehumidification assembly (500) to remove the residual cleaning liquid; Turn on a water mist sensor (400) to detect the residual cleaning liquid in the air duct (200), and when the residual amount detected by the water mist sensor (400) is less than a preset value, turn off the dehumidification assembly (500).

10. The method for cleaning the air duct of the refrigerator according to claim 9: characterized in that: The dehumidification assembly (500) is a blower, and the blower is turned on to discharge the residual cleaning liquid; Or, the dehumidification assembly (500) is a heating wire arranged along the air duct (200), and the heating wire is turned on to evaporate the residual cleaning liquid.

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