Refrigerator

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator which comprises an air flue, a heat exchanger, a heat exchanger and a heat exchanger. The cleaning pipeline is used for spraying cleaning liquid into the air duct; the drainage assembly comprises a drainage port located at the lowest point of the air duct and a drainage pipe connected to the drainage port so as to discharge cleaning sewage outwards. The water outlet is formed in the bottom of the air duct, the water outlet is connected with the water drainage pipe, the cleaning liquid sprayed into the air duct from the cleaning pipeline is collected to the water outlet and guided into the evaporating dish or the recycling box through the water drainage pipe, and discharging or recycling of the cleaning liquid is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of household appliances, and particularly to a refrigerator. 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 by the evaporator is blown into each chamber of the refrigerator through 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 pipeline can be preset in the air duct, and the cleaning liquid is sprayed into the air duct through the cleaning pipeline to achieve the cleaning of the air duct. When cleaning the air duct in this way, the subsequent diversion and discharge of the cleaning liquid need to be considered. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a refrigerator, which includes an air duct for supplying cold air to the refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator; a cleaning pipeline for spraying a cleaning liquid into the air duct; a drainage assembly including a drainage port at the lowest point of the air duct and a drainage pipe connected to the drainage port for discharging the cleaning sewage outwards.

[0005] As a further improvement of the present invention, the drainage assembly further includes a drainage trough provided at the lower edge of the air duct, and the drainage trough extends along the lower edge of the air duct to the drainage port.

[0006] 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 in the height direction, and the diversion duct extends obliquely upwards from the main air duct to the air duct outlet.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the drainage trough is opened along the lower edge of the diversion duct, and the drainage trough is located inside the diversion duct.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, one end of the drainage pipe is connected to the drainage port, and the other end extends to an evaporation dish at the bottom of the refrigerator;

[0009] Or, the refrigerator further includes a purification and recovery box, and one end of the drainage pipe is connected to the drainage port, and the other end extends into the purification and recovery box.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, a filter element is provided at the top of the purification and recovery box, and the cleaning sewage entering the purification and recovery box from the drainage pipe is filtered by the filter element and then stored in the purification and recovery box.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, it further includes an inner container that encloses to form a refrigerating compartment. The air duct is located at the rear side of the inner container. A drain hole is opened at the bottom of the inner container, and the drain pipe passes through the drain hole and is connected to the drain outlet.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, it further includes an inner container that encloses to form a refrigerating compartment. The air duct is located at the rear side of the inner container. A drain hole and a water storage area are provided at the bottom of the inner container. The drain hole is opened in the water storage area, and the drain pipe extends to the water storage area.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the drain pipe includes a first diversion pipe and a second diversion pipe. The first diversion pipe diverts the cleaning sewage discharged from the drain outlet to the water storage area, and the second diversion pipe is connected at the drain hole.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the drain pipe further includes a water receiving tray located at the top end of the second diversion pipe. The water receiving tray is located below the drain hole.

[0015] Beneficial effects of the present invention: A drain outlet is opened at the bottom of the air duct of the present invention, and a drain pipe is connected to the drain outlet. The cleaning liquid sprayed from the cleaning pipe into the air duct is collected at the drain outlet and diverted to an evaporating dish or a recovery box through the drain pipe, realizing the discharge of the cleaning liquid. Description of the Drawings

[0016] 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:

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a disassembled schematic diagram of;

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of another embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the inner container of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a fixing method of the cleaning pipe of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 is Figure 5 a disassembled schematic diagram of;

[0023] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another fixing method of the cleaning pipe of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural view of the air duct of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 9 is Figure 8 an enlarged structural view of A in

[0026] Figure 10 is Figure 8 an enlarged structural view of B in Specific embodiments

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions of the present invention in combination 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.

[0028] The following will describe in detail the embodiments of the present invention. The examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, in which 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 limiting the present invention.

[0029] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "longitudinal", "transverse", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships 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 thus should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0030] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified and defined, it should be noted that the terms "installation", "connection", and "coupling" 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.

[0031] As Figures 1 to 10 shown, this is a refrigerator of the present invention, which includes an inner container 100, an air duct 200, a cleaning pipeline 300, and a drainage assembly 400.

[0032] The air duct 200 is formed by an air duct plate and an air duct cover plate. The air duct 200 is arranged at the rear side of the inner container 100 to introduce refrigerated air into the refrigerating compartment formed by surrounding the inner container 100. The evaporator in the refrigerator generates refrigerated air after heat exchange, and the refrigerated air enters the refrigerating compartment through the air duct 200. The cleaning pipeline 300 is located in the air duct 200, and cleaning liquid is introduced into the cleaning pipeline 300. The cleaning pipeline 300 sprays the cleaning liquid into the air duct 200 to clean the air duct 200, and the cleaning liquid flows down along the air duct 200 and is finally discharged through the drainage assembly 400.

[0033] 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 main air duct extends in the height direction, and the shunt air ducts are arranged at intervals in the height direction. The shunt air ducts are used to evenly shunt the refrigerated 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 the air outlet communicating with the refrigerator compartment.

[0034] 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 refrigerated air into it, and the air outlet section is relatively gentle to facilitate the smooth export of refrigerated air.

[0035] 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 is finally discharged through the drainage assembly 400, preventing the cleaning liquid from remaining in the shunt air duct.

[0036] The air duct 200 is also provided with a water mist sensor 201, which is used to detect the remaining situation of the cleaning liquid in the air duct 200. The water mist sensor 201 is arranged at a position in the air duct 200 where the cleaning liquid is likely to remain.

[0037] Specifically, the water mist sensor 201 is located at the position with the smallest inclination angle in the air duct 200. In this embodiment, the water mist sensor 201 is located at the lower edge of the connection between the air inlet section and the air outlet section, and the inclination angle at this position is small and it is easy for the cleaning liquid to remain.

[0038] A water blocking member 202 is also arranged at the air outlet of the air duct 200. The water blocking member 202 is used to block the air outlet during the cleaning of the air duct 200, so as to prevent the cleaning liquid from entering the refrigerator compartment from the air outlet during the cleaning process.

[0039] The water blocking member 202 includes a driving member 202a and a water blocking plate 202b connected to the driving member 202a. The driving member 202a drives the water blocking plate 202b to move in the height direction to open or close the air outlet. An installation cavity is formed on the air duct plate, and the driving member 202a is fixed in the installation cavity. The driving member 202a 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 202b. 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 202b 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.

[0040] On the surface of the bottom of the water blocking plate 202b facing the air duct 200, a water guiding part is arranged. The water guiding part has an inclined surface extending toward the air duct 200 from top to bottom. When the water blocking plate 202b closes the air outlet, the bottom surface of the water guiding part abuts against the bottom surface of the air duct 200. The cleaning liquid sprayed onto the water blocking plate 202b from the cleaning pipeline 300 flows back into the air duct 200 along the water guiding part.

[0041] A blower 203 is further arranged in the air duct 200. The blower 203 is located at the middle position of the air duct 200. After the cleaning of the air duct 200 is completed, the blower 203 is turned on to accelerate the discharge of the cleaning liquid in the air duct 200.

[0042] The cleaning pipeline 300 is located in 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 smell in the storage room. And if there is an odor sensor in the storage room, the air blown into the storage room from the air duct 200 is doped with peculiar smell, 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, so as to ensure the cleanliness in the air duct 200.

[0043] Further, the cleaning pipeline 300 is arranged along the air duct 200, and the extending direction of the cleaning pipeline 300 is consistent with the running direction of the air duct 200. The cleaning pipeline 300 sprays the cleaning liquid to various positions of the air duct 200, thereby realizing the overall cleaning of the air duct 200 and preventing dust and bacteria from accumulating 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 and is consistent with the shape of the air duct 200 to achieve comprehensive spray cleaning of the air duct 200.

[0045] In this embodiment, the spray head 302 is an umbrella-shaped spray head. A plurality of groups of water spray openings are circumferentially arranged on the spray head 302. An outlet is arranged at the center of the spray head 302 to connect the cleaning pipe 301 and the water spray openings. 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 upward, 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 spray 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 spray range and spray water pressure of the spray head 302, realize the overall cleaning of the air duct 200, and prevent dirt residue.

[0047] The spray head 302 is arranged at the end of the cleaning pipe 301 close to the air outlet of the air duct 200, and the distance between the spray head 302 and the air outlet is greater than the spray 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 less 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 5 to 7 , in an implementation manner, a groove is formed in the air duct plate, and the cleaning pipe 301 is embedded in the groove to achieve fixation. At least part of the cleaning pipe 301 is embedded in the groove, and the depth of the groove can be adjusted adaptively according to needs.

[0050] Refer to Figures 5 to 6, the groove can be opened at the middle position or the edge position of the air duct 200. When the groove is opened at 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 evenly spray the cleaning liquid around, so that the cleaning pipe 301 has the largest spraying range and the highest cleaning efficiency; when the groove is opened at 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 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 plurality of liquid spraying ports distributed circumferentially. The groove located in the shunt air duct is opened along the upper edge of the shunt air duct. The spray head 302 located in the shunt air duct is fan-shaped. The cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipe 301 sprays downward in a fan shape 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 cleaning liquid from remaining in the air duct 200.

[0052] When the cleaning pipe 301 is fixed in the air duct 200 by being embedded in the groove, the water mist sensor 201 is also located at the intersection of the cleaning pipes 301. The cleaning liquid sprayed from the spray head 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 obstruction of the cleaning pipe 301. Therefore, the water mist sensor 201 is arranged here to monitor the residual cleaning liquid.

[0053] Refer to Figure 7 , the groove can also be opened on the side of the main body 100 facing away from the air duct 200. The opening position of the groove corresponds to the air duct 200. The cleaning pipe 301 is embedded in the groove to hide the cleaning pipe 301, and at the same time, it does not affect the circulation of the cooling air in the air duct 200. The spray head 302 passes through the main body 100 and is exposed in the air duct 200 to spray the cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipe 301 into the air duct 200 through the spray head 302. And the position where the spray head 302 passes through the main body 100 is sealed. Hiding the cleaning pipe 301 on the side of the main body 100 facing away from the air duct 200 can also prevent the cooling air in the air duct 200 from freezing the residual cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipe 301.

[0054] In other embodiments, the fixing of the cleaning pipe 301 can also be achieved through 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. 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. Fixing the cleaning pipe 301 through the nozzle 302 can appropriately lift the cleaning pipe 301 away from the inner wall of the air duct 200, so that the cleaning liquid flows down along the inner wall of the air duct 200 without being blocked by the cleaning pipe 301 for subsequent recovery.

[0055] The refrigerator further includes a cleaning water box 700 for supplying water to the cleaning pipeline 300. The cleaning water box 700 is located in the refrigerator's fresh food compartment. The cleaning water box 700 stores a cleaning liquid for cleaning the air duct 200. The cleaning liquid in the cleaning water box 700 is connected to the cleaning pipeline 300 located in the air duct 200 through a 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.

[0056] The cleaning water box 700 is provided with an independent cleaning water chamber and a cleaning agent chamber. The cleaning water chamber is used to hold cleaning water, and the cleaning agent chamber is used to hold a cleaning agent. The cleaning water and the cleaning agent are mixed to form a cleaning liquid. A water supply pipe is connected to the cleaning water box 700. The water supply pipe includes a first liquid inlet end communicating with the cleaning water chamber, a second liquid inlet end communicating with the cleaning agent chamber, 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 cleaning water box 700 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.

[0057] Further, the water supply pipe includes a main water supply pipe connected to the cleaning pipeline 300, a first branch pipe communicating with the main water supply pipe and extending into the cleaning water chamber, and a second branch pipe communicating with the first branch pipe and extending into the cleaning agent chamber. The cleaning water and the cleaning agent are mixed to form a 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 achieved through the cleaning pump located on the main water supply pipe.

[0058] A connecting valve is also provided on the second branch pipe, which can supply the mixed cleaning liquid or cleaning water alone to the cleaning pipeline 300.

[0059] By placing the cleaning water box 700 storing the cleaning liquid in the cold storage room, it is convenient for the installation of the cleaning water box 700 and the subsequent addition of the cleaning liquid. At the same time, the cleaning water box 700 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.

[0060] The drainage assembly 400 is used to guide and discharge the cleaning sewage, including a drainage port 401 located at the lowest point of the air duct 200, a drainage pipe 402 connected to the drainage port 401 to discharge the cleaning sewage outward, and a drainage groove 403 provided at the lower edge of the air duct 200. The drainage groove 403 extends along the lower edge of the air duct 200 to the drainage port 401.

[0061] The drainage groove 403 extends along the lower edge of the air duct 200 to the drainage port 401, and the drainage groove 403 is used to guide the cleaning liquid sprayed out from the cleaning pipe. When the air duct 200 needs to be cleaned, the cleaning liquid is introduced into the cleaning pipeline 300, and the cleaning liquid is sprayed into the air duct 200 through the cleaning pipeline 300 to clean the air duct 200. The cleaning liquid flows down along the inner wall of the air duct 200 to the drainage groove 403 at the lower edge of the air duct 200, and finally converges along the drainage groove 403 to the drainage port 401 at the bottom of the air duct 200 and is discharged.

[0062] The opening depth of the drainage groove 403 is 0.5 - 1 cm, and the opening depth of the drainage groove 403 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 403, the cleaning liquid can be effectively prevented from remaining in the air duct 200.

[0063] Preferably, the drainage groove 403 is provided at the lower edge of each shunt channel, so as to facilitate the collection of the cleaning liquid sprayed into the shunt channel. The collected cleaning liquid flows into the main air duct along the drainage groove 403 and is finally discharged through the drainage port 401 at the bottom of the air duct 200.

[0064] Furthermore, the water mist sensors 201 are also provided on both sides of the drainage port 401. The water mist sensors 201 here can detect the discharge situation of the cleaning liquid and prevent the drainage port 401 from being blocked and unable to discharge the cleaning liquid in time.

[0065] A drain hole 101 is provided at the bottom of the inner container 100. The cleaning liquid sprayed out from the cleaning pipeline 300 flows back along the air duct 200 and gradually converges at the drain port 401 after cleaning the air duct 200, and is guided to the drain hole 101 at the bottom of the inner container 100 through the drain pipe 402, and finally discharged through the drain hole 101.

[0066] Referring Figure 1 , in one embodiment, the drain pipe 402 extends from the drain port 401 through the drain hole 101 to the evaporating dish 500 at the bottom of the refrigerator.

[0067] When the air duct 200 needs to be cleaned, the cleaning pump is turned on. Under the action of the cleaning pump, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning water box 700 is injected into the cleaning pipeline 300. When the water pressure in the cleaning pipeline 300 reaches the set pressure value, the pressure valve is opened, and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipeline 300 is sprayed out by the nozzle to clean the air duct 200. The sprayed cleaning liquid flows downstream along the air duct 200 and converges at the drain port 401. The cleaning sewage gathered here is guided to the evaporating dish 500 through the drain pipe 402, and finally evaporates and dissipates through the evaporating dish 500.

[0068] Referring Figure 4 , in another embodiment, the refrigerator further includes a purification and recovery box 600. One end of the drain pipe 402 is connected to the drain port 401, and the other end extends into the purification and recovery box 600 to realize the recycling of the cleaning liquid.

[0069] Specifically, the purification and recovery box 600 is located in the foaming layer at the rear of the refrigerator to reduce the occupation of the internal space of the refrigerator. The cleaning sewage converging at the drain port 401 is guided to the purification and recovery box 600 through the drain pipe 402. A filter element is provided at the top of the purification and recovery box 600. The cleaning sewage flowing into the purification and recovery box 600 from the drain pipe 402 slowly penetrates through the filter element at the top, and is stored in the purification and recovery box 600 after being filtered by the filter element.

[0070] The cleaning water box 700 is communicated with the purification and recovery box 600 through a connecting pipe 701. In this way, the cleaning liquid stored in the purification and recovery box 600 after being filtered by the filter element flows back to the cleaning water box 700 through the connecting pipe 701 for the next cleaning of the air duct 200.

[0071] Further, a water storage area 102 is provided at the bottom of the inner container 100, the drain hole 101 is opened in the water storage area 102, the drain pipe 402 includes a first diversion pipe 402a and a second diversion pipe 402b, the first diversion pipe 402a is buried in the air duct assembly, the first diversion pipe 402a diverts the cleaning sewage discharged from the drain port 401 to the water storage area 102, one end of the second diversion pipe 402b is connected to the drain port 101, and the other end is connected to the purification and recovery box 600, so as to divert the cleaning sewage in the water storage area 102 to the purification and recovery box 600 through the drain port 101 via the second diversion pipe 402b. The drain assembly 400 further includes a water receiving tray 402c located at the top end of the second diversion pipe 402b. The water receiving tray 402c is located below the drain hole 101, and the cleaning sewage flowing out from the drain port 101 is received by the water receiving tray 402c and introduced into the second diversion pipe 402b.

[0072] The water storage area 102 is used for water storage and transition. Through the two-section diversion pipes, when the cleaning wastewater diverted from the drain assembly 400 to the purification and recovery box 700 seeps slowly or the cleaning liquid flow rate is large, the cleaning wastewater is prevented from accumulating at the drain port 401.

[0073] The cleaning steps of the air duct 200 are as follows:

[0074] When the refrigerator air duct 200 needs to be cleaned, first close the air outlet of the air duct 200, and close the air outlet through the water blocking member 202, so as to prevent the cleaning liquid from entering the refrigerator compartment from the air outlet during the cleaning process;

[0075] 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 20s to moisten the entire air duct 200;

[0076] 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 30s. Among them, the mixing ratio of the cleaning agent to the cleaning water is 1:30;

[0077] After the cleaning agent dissolves the stains and odors in the air duct 200, close the connecting 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 for 40 seconds;

[0078] After the rinsing is completed, reserve 30 seconds for drainage, and then turn on the blower 203 to accelerate the evaporation of the residual liquid in the air duct 200. During this process, the water mist sensors 203 in the air duct 200 monitor the liquid residue situation at various places in the air duct 200. When the water mist signal values feedback by the water mist sensors 203 at various places reach below the preset value, turn off the blower 203 and reopen the air outlet of the air duct 200, and the cleaning is completed.

[0079] During the cleaning process, the cleaning water and cleaning liquid flow down along the inner wall of the air duct 200 and converge at the drain port 401 at the bottom of the air duct 200, and finally are guided through the drain pipe 402 into the evaporation dish 500 or the recovery box 600 to discharge or recover the cleaning liquid.

[0080] Further, 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 above risks, the present invention adopts but is not limited to the following solutions.

[0081] In the first type of solution, after the cleaning is completed, empty the liquid in the cleaning pipe 301.

[0082] In one embodiment, the cleaning pipe 301 located in the diversion 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 cleaning pipe 301 from being blocked or even burst due to the freezing of the residual liquid.

[0083] 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 naturally flow back into the water supply pipe, so a water leakage hole is opened here to allow the residual 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.

[0084] In another embodiment, a pressure reducing valve is provided at the downward bending portion of the cleaning pipe 301. When the cleaning pump supplies cleaning liquid into the cleaning pipe 301 for cleaning, the water pressure inside the cleaning pipe 301 is relatively high, and the pressure reducing valve remains closed. The pressure valve opens to spray the cleaning liquid through the nozzle 302; after the cleaning is completed, the water pressure inside the cleaning pipe 301 decreases, the pressure valve closes, and the pressure reducing valve opens. The liquid remaining in the bending portion is discharged from the pressure reducing valve into the air duct 200.

[0085] In another embodiment, the cleaning pump uses a two-way water pump. After the cleaning is completed, the cleaning pump pumps the remaining cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipe 301 back into the box body, thereby preventing the remaining liquid from freezing and causing blockage or even bursting of the cleaning pipe 301.

[0086] In the second type of solution, it is to prevent the liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 301 from freezing at low temperatures.

[0087] In one embodiment, heat preservation treatment is performed 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.

[0088] 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 remaining liquid in the cleaning pipe 301, thereby preventing the liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 301 from freezing.

[0089] In another embodiment, a heating wire is used to provide heat for the cleaning pipe 301 to prevent the remaining liquid inside from freezing. The heating wire can be arranged inside the cleaning pipe 301 or along the layout position of the cleaning pipe 301. When the refrigerator is refrigerating, a certain amount of heat is provided for 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 provided inside the cleaning pipe 301 to keep the temperature of the liquid inside not lower than the freezing point, avoiding excessive heating of the heating wire, wasting energy and even causing a decrease in the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator.

[0090] In another embodiment, materials for lowering the freezing point of the cleaning liquid, such as salts, alcohols, etc., are added to the cleaning water cavity. Preferably, alcohols such as methanol and ethanol are added. While lowering the freezing point of the cleaning liquid, it also plays a role in sterilization during the cleaning process.

[0091] All the above solutions for preventing the cleaning pipe 301 from being blocked or even bursting due to liquid freezing can be used in combination of any two or more.

[0092] In summary, a drain opening 401 is provided at the bottom of the air duct 200 of the present invention, and a drain pipe 402 is connected to the drain opening 401. The cleaning liquid sprayed from the cleaning pipe 300 into the air duct 200 converges at the drain opening 401 and is diverted through the drain pipe 402 into the evaporating dish 500 or the recovery box 600, so as to achieve the discharge or recovery of the cleaning liquid.

[0093] 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.

[0094] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific descriptions of the feasible embodiments of the present invention, and are not used 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, characterized in that, Comprising: An air duct (200) for cooling a refrigerating compartment of a refrigerator; A cleaning pipe (300) for spraying a cleaning liquid into the air duct (200); A drainage assembly (400), including a drainage port (401) located at the lowest point of the air duct (200) and a drain pipe (402) connected to the drainage port (401) for discharging the cleaning sewage outwards.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drainage assembly (400) further includes a drainage trough (403) provided at the lower edge of the air duct (200), and the drainage trough (403) extends along the lower edge of the air duct (200) to the drainage port (401).

3. 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 outlets. The main air duct extends in the height direction, and the diversion duct extends obliquely upwards from the main air duct to the air duct outlets.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The drainage trough (403) is opened along the lower edge of the diversion duct, and the drainage trough (403) is located inside the diversion duct.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the drain pipe (402) is connected to the drainage port (401), and the other end extends to an evaporation dish (500) at the bottom of the refrigerator; Or, the refrigerator further includes a purification and recovery box (600). One end of the drain pipe (402) is connected to the drainage port (401), and the other end extends into the purification and recovery box (600).

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that: A filter element is provided at the top of the purification and recovery box (600), and the cleaning sewage entering the purification and recovery box (600) from the drain pipe (402) is filtered by the filter element and stored in the purification and recovery box (600).

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: It further includes an inner liner (100) surrounding to form the refrigerating compartment. The air duct (200) is located at the rear side of the inner liner (100). A drainage hole (101) is opened at the bottom of the inner liner (100), and the drain pipe (402) passes through the drainage hole (101) and is connected to the drainage port (401).

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: It further includes an inner liner (100) surrounding to form the refrigerating compartment. The air duct (200) is located at the rear side of the inner liner (100). A drainage hole (101) and a water storage area (102) are provided at the bottom of the inner liner (100). The drainage hole (101) is opened in the water storage area (102), and the drain pipe (402) extends to the water storage area (102).

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, characterized in that: The drain pipe (402) includes a first diversion pipe (402a) and a second diversion pipe (402b). The first diversion pipe (402a) diverts the cleaning sewage discharged from the drainage port (401) to the water storage area (102), and the second diversion pipe (402b) is connected at the drainage hole (101).

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that: The drain pipe (402) further includes a water receiving tray (402c) located at the top end of the second diversion pipe (402b), and the water receiving tray (402c) is located below the drainage hole (101).

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