Self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly and refrigerator with same

Abstract

The invention provides a self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly and a refrigerator with the self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly, the self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly comprises an air duct plate, an air duct cover plate and an air duct formed between the air duct plate and the air duct cover plate, and the air duct assembly further comprises sprayers arranged in the air duct at intervals and a cleaning pipe located outside the air duct and connected with the sprayers. The cleaning liquid is sprayed into the air duct through the cleaning pipe embedded in the air duct plate along the air duct so as to clean the air duct, the refrigerator does not need to be disassembled, and the refrigerator is convenient, rapid and low in cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of household appliances, in particular to a self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly and a refrigerator having the same. Background Art

[0002] The principle of a refrigerator is to use air for refrigeration. Since the air temperature is high and the evaporator temperature is low, direct heat exchange occurs between the two, and the temperature of the air will decrease. The cold air is blown into each chamber of the refrigerator through the air duct under the action of a fan. However, if dirt such as dust and bacteria accumulates in the air duct, it is easy 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, it is necessary to provide a refrigerator air duct with a cleaning pipeline, which can realize the cleaning of the air duct without disassembling the refrigerator air duct. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly, including an air duct plate, an air duct cover plate, and an air duct formed between the air duct plate and the air duct cover plate, characterized in that: the air duct assembly further includes a nozzle disposed at intervals in the air duct, the nozzle sprays cleaning liquid into the air duct, and a cleaning pipe located outside the air duct and connected to a plurality of the nozzles.

[0005] As a further improvement of the present invention, the cleaning pipe is fixed to a side of the air duct plate or the air duct cover plate facing away from the air duct.

[0006] As a further improvement of the present invention, the layout shape of the cleaning pipe is inconsistent with the layout shape of the air duct.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the layout shape of the cleaning pipe is consistent with the layout shape of the air duct.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, the cleaning pipe between adjacent two groups of the nozzles extends linearly.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, a groove is formed on a side of the air duct plate or the air duct cover plate facing away from the air duct, and the cleaning pipe is embedded in the groove.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the nozzle is located at a middle position in the width direction of the air duct and sprays the cleaning liquid to all positions of the air duct.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the middle part of the nozzle has a liquid inlet communicating with the cleaning pipe, and a pressure valve is arranged at the liquid inlet.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, a water blocking member is provided at the air outlet of the air duct. The water blocking member includes a driving member and a water blocking plate connected to the driving member. The driving member drives the water blocking plate to move in the height direction to open or close the air outlet.

[0013] Advantages of the present invention: The present invention sprays cleaning liquid into the air duct through the cleaning pipe embedded in the air duct plate along the air duct to clean the air duct, without disassembling the refrigerator, which is convenient, fast and low-cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] 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 and descriptions thereof of the present invention are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0015] Figure 1 is the overall structural schematic diagram of the air duct structure of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 is Figure 1 the exploded structural schematic diagram of;

[0017] Figure 3 is Figure 1 the enlarged structural schematic diagram of A in;

[0018] Figure 4 is Figure 1 the enlarged structural schematic diagram of B in;

[0019] Figure 5 is the overall structural schematic diagram of the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 6 is the exploded structural schematic diagram of the water storage box of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0021] In order 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 the 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 of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0022] 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.

[0023] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "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. These 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. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0024] 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.

[0025] As Figures 1 to 4 shown, it is a self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly of the present invention, which includes an air duct plate 100, an air duct 200, and a cleaning pipe 300.

[0026] Among them, the air duct plate 100 is arranged inside the refrigerator. The air duct plate 100 and an air duct cover plate (not shown in the figure) together form the air duct 200. The evaporator inside the refrigerator generates cooling air after heat exchange, and the cooling air enters the refrigerator compartment through the air duct 200. The cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipe 300 is sprayed onto the air duct 200 through a nozzle 301 located inside the air duct 200 to achieve the cleaning of the air duct 200.

[0027] 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 cooling 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. 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 the cooling air into it, and the air outlet section is relatively gentle to facilitate the smooth export of the cooling air.

[0028] The air duct 200 includes a drain port 201 at its lowest point, and a drain pipe 202 connected to the drain port 201. The drain port 201 is opened at the lowest point of the air duct 200. The cleaning liquid gradually gathers along the air duct 200 to the drain port 201 at the lowest point, and then is discharged through the drain pipe 202.

[0029] Furthermore, the air duct 200 further includes a drain groove 203 opened along its lower edge. The drain groove 203 extends along the lower edge of the air duct 200 to the drain port 201. The drain groove 203 is used to guide the cleaning liquid sprayed out from the cleaning pipe 300. When the air duct 200 needs to be cleaned, the cleaning liquid is introduced into the cleaning pipe 300. The cleaning liquid is sprayed into the air duct 200 through the cleaning pipe 300 to clean the air duct 200. The cleaning liquid flows down along the inner wall of the air duct 200 to the drain groove 203 at the lower edge of the air duct 200, and finally converges along the drain groove 203 to the drain port 201 at the bottom of the air duct 200 and is discharged.

[0030] The opening depth of the drain groove 203 is 0.5 - 1 cm. The opening depth of the drain groove 203 can be determined according to the area of the air duct 200 and the flow value of the cleaning pipe 300. By opening the drain groove 203, the cleaning liquid can be effectively prevented from remaining in the air duct 200.

[0031] A water mist sensor 204 is further arranged in the air duct 200. The water mist sensor 204 is used to detect the remaining condition of the cleaning liquid in the air duct 200. The water mist sensor 204 is arranged at a position in the air duct 200 where the cleaning liquid is likely to remain.

[0032] Specifically, the water mist sensor 204 is located at the position with the smallest inclination angle of the air duct 200. In this embodiment, the water mist sensor 204 is located at the lower edge of the connection between the air inlet section and the air outlet section. The inclination angle at this position is small and it is easy for the cleaning liquid to remain. The water mist sensor 204 is also arranged on both sides of the drain port 201. The water mist sensor 204 here can detect the discharge condition of the cleaning liquid and prevent the drain port 201 from being blocked and unable to discharge the cleaning liquid in time.

[0033] A fan 205 is further arranged in the air duct 200. The fan 205 is located at the middle position of the air duct 200. After the air duct 200 is cleaned, the fan 205 is turned on to accelerate the discharge of the cleaning liquid in the air duct 200.

[0034] A water blocking member 206 is further arranged at the air outlet of the air duct 200. The water blocking member 206 is used to close 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.

[0035] The water blocking member 206 includes a driving member 206a and a water blocking plate 206b connected to the driving member 206a, and the driving member 206a drives the water blocking plate 206b to move in the height direction to open or close the air outlet. The air duct plate 100 is provided with an installation cavity, and the driving member 206a is fixed in the installation cavity. The driving member 206a includes a driving motor and a rotating gear connected to the output end of the driving motor, and the water blocking plate 206b is provided with a rack meshed with the rotating gear. When it is necessary to open or close the air outlet of the air duct 200, the driving motor is turned on, and the driving motor drives the rotating gear at the output end to rotate, and the rotating gear rotates to drive the rack meshed with it to move upward or downward, thereby driving the water blocking plate 206b 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.

[0036] When dirt such as dust and bacteria accumulates in the air duct 200, it is easy to cause odor to grow in the storage room. If an odor sensor is installed in the storage room, the air blown into the storage room from the air duct 200 is mixed with odor, 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 pipe 300 and spraying the cleaning liquid to various positions of the air duct 200 to achieve overall cleaning of the air duct 200, thereby ensuring the cleanliness of the air duct 200.

[0037] The cleaning pipe 300 is provided with nozzles 301 at intervals, and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipe 300 is evenly sprayed into the air duct 200 through the nozzles 301. The cleaning pipe 300 is not located in the air duct 200, thereby preventing the cleaning pipe 300 from affecting the circulation of cooling air in the air duct 200 during the refrigeration process of the refrigerator.

[0038] Furthermore, the cleaning pipe 300 is fixed to a side of the air duct plate 100 or the air duct cover plate away from the air duct 200 , and the cleaning pipe 300 is connected to all the nozzles 301 to spray the cleaning liquid to various positions of the air duct 200 through the nozzles 301 .

[0039] In this embodiment, there is no specific limitation on the number and arrangement positions of the cleaning pipes 300 , as long as they can be connected to all the nozzles 301 .

[0040] The layout shape of the cleaning pipe 300 may not be consistent with the layout shape of the air duct 200. For example, multiple groups of the cleaning pipes 300 are provided, and the multiple groups of the cleaning pipes 300 are arranged at intervals in the height direction and / or the horizontal direction to connect all the nozzles 301; or, the cleaning pipe 300 between two adjacent groups of the nozzles 301 extends linearly, so as to reduce the layout length of the cleaning pipe 300.

[0041] Of course, the layout shape of the cleaning pipe 300 may also be consistent with the air duct 200, so as to facilitate connecting all the nozzles 301 located in the air duct 200.

[0042] In this embodiment, a groove 101 is formed on one side of the air duct plate 100 facing away from the air duct 200, and the cleaning pipe 300 is embedded in the groove 101 for fixation, so as to hide the cleaning pipe 300, and at the same time, it does not affect the circulation of the cooling air in the air duct 200. The nozzle 301 passes through the air duct plate 100 and is exposed to the air duct 200, so as to spray the cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipe 300 into the air duct 200. And the position where the nozzle 301 passes through the air duct plate 100 is sealed. The cleaning pipe 300 is hidden on one side of the air duct plate 100 facing away from the air duct 200, and at the same time, it can prevent the cooling air in the air duct 200 from directly contacting the cleaning pipe 300, freezing the cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 300 and causing blockage or bursting of the cleaning pipe 300.

[0043] In other embodiments, the groove 101 may also be formed on one side of the air duct cover plate facing away from the air duct 200, and the cleaning pipe 300 is fixed on the air duct cover plate.

[0044] It should be particularly noted that when the cleaning pipe 300 is fixed to the air duct plate 100 by using the groove 101, the corresponding position of the air duct plate 100 and the air duct 200 is relatively weak, and the groove 101 should be avoided as much as possible to coincide with the position of the air duct 200, so as to prevent affecting the overall structural strength of the air duct plate 100.

[0045] Preferably, the nozzle 301 is fixed at the middle position of the air duct 200 in the width direction, and the nozzle 301 can spray the cleaning liquid evenly in all directions, so that the nozzle 301 has the largest spraying range and the highest cleaning efficiency. The groove 101 may also be formed at the middle position of the air duct 200 in the width direction.

[0046] Further, a plurality of liquid spraying ports are circumferentially arranged on the spray head 301 to increase the spraying range of the spray head 301. An inlet is arranged at the center of the spray head 301 to communicate the cleaning pipe 300 and the liquid spraying ports. The cleaning liquid in the cleaning pipe 300 flows into the spray head 301 through the inlet, and then is sprayed out through the liquid spraying ports to clean the air duct 200. A pressure valve is arranged at the inlet. When the water pressure value at the inlet is less than the set value, the pressure valve closes the inlet; when the water pressure value at the inlet is greater than the set pressure value, the pressure valve is pushed upward, and the cleaning liquid flows into the spray head 301 and is sprayed out from the liquid spraying ports, so as to ensure that the spray head 301 has a certain spraying range and a certain water pressure value to improve the cleaning efficiency of the air duct 200.

[0047] Referring Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the present invention further provides a refrigerator, including the above-mentioned air duct assembly and a water storage box 400 located in the refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator for storing cleaning liquid. The water storage box 400 is connected to the cleaning pipe 300 to supply cleaning liquid to the cleaning pipe 300.

[0048] The cleaning box 400 is placed in the refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator, which is convenient for the installation of the cleaning box 400 and subsequent addition of cleaning water and cleaning agent; at the same time, the cleaning box 400 located in the refrigerating compartment can effectively reduce the temperature of the cleaning water and cleaning agent, preventing the loss of cold in the air duct 200 when cleaning the air duct 200.

[0049] Further, the box body 400 includes a first box body 401, a second box body 402, a third box body 403, a water supply pipe 404 and a cleaning pump 405. The first box body 401 is used for storing cleaning water, the second box body 402 is used for storing cleaning agent, the cleaning pump 405 is installed in the third box body 403. The water supply pipe 404 includes two inlets and one outlet. The two inlets respectively extend into the first box body 401 and the second box body 402, the outlet is connected to the inlet end of the cleaning pump 405, and the outlet end of the cleaning pump 405 is connected to the cleaning pipe 300, so as to supply cleaning water and cleaning liquid to the cleaning pipe 300.

[0050] Specifically, a water injection port is opened on the top cover of the first box body 401. The second box body 402 is located on one side of the top of the first box body 401. A filter element 406 is arranged at the bottom of the second box body 402. The second box body 402 and the filter element 406 divide the internal space of the first box body 401 into two parts. The third box body 403 is located outside the first box body 401 and is connected to the first box body 401. The second box body 402 is located on one side of the first box body 401 close to the third box body 403.

[0051] The water supply pipe 404 includes a main water supply pipe connected to the inlet end of the cleaning pump 405, a first branch pipe communicating with the main water supply pipe and extending into the first box body 401, and a second branch pipe communicating with the first branch pipe and extending to the second box body 402. A through hole is further provided on the second box body 402, and the first branch pipe passes through the through hole and extends into the first box body 401. The first branch pipe and the water injection port are respectively located on both sides of the filter element 406, that is, the first branch pipe introduces the cleaning water filtered by the filter element 406 into the cleaning pipe 300. A communication valve is further provided on the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe, and a cleaning liquid mixed with cleaning water and a cleaning agent can be sprayed into the air duct 200, or cleaning water can be sprayed into the air duct 200 alone.

[0052] When it is necessary to introduce cleaning water into the cleaning pipe 300, the communication valve on the first branch pipe is opened and the communication valve on the second branch pipe is closed, and the filtered cleaning water in the first box body 401 is introduced into the cleaning pipe 300 through the cleaning pump 405; when it is necessary to introduce cleaning liquid into the cleaning pipe 300, the communication valves on the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe are opened simultaneously, the cleaning water in the first box body 401 and the cleaning agent in the second box body 402 are simultaneously sucked into the main water supply pipe, mixed in the main water supply pipe, and finally introduced into the cleaning pipe 300 through the cleaning pump 405.

[0053] It should be specifically noted that the diameter of the first branch pipe is larger than the diameter of the second branch pipe, and the 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.

[0054] Further, the drain pipe 202 extends from the drain port 201 through the inner container to the evaporating dish 500 at the bottom of the refrigerator, so as to guide the cleaning sewage accumulated at the drain port 201 to the evaporating dish 500 through the drain pipe 202, and finally evaporate and dissipate through the evaporating dish 500. Of course, in other embodiments, the cleaning sewage can also be recovered, filtered and purified, and then re-introduced into the box body 400 for repeated use.

[0055] The cleaning steps of the air duct 200 are as follows:

[0056] Close the air outlet of the air duct 200, and close the air outlet through the water blocking member 206, so as to prevent the cleaning liquid from entering the refrigerator compartment from the air outlet during the cleaning process;

[0057] The cleaning water is sprayed into the air duct 200 to wet the air duct 200. The connecting valve on the first branch pipe is opened, and the connecting valve on the second branch pipe is closed. The cleaning pump 405 is started to pressurize and extract the cleaning water in the first box body 401 to pass into the cleaning pipe 300. When the pressure value in the cleaning pipe 300 reaches the set pressure value, the pressure valve of the nozzle 301 is opened to spray the cleaning water into the air duct 200. The spraying time is 20 seconds to wet the entire air duct 200.

[0058] After the infiltration is completed, the connecting valve on the second branch pipe is opened, and the cleaning pump 405 is started to pressurize and extract the cleaning water in the first box body 401 and the cleaning agent in the second box body 402. The cleaning liquid mixed by the two is passed into the cleaning pipe 300, and then sprayed to the air duct 200 through the nozzle 301. The spraying time is 30 seconds, wherein the mixing ratio of the cleaning agent and the cleaning water is 1:30;

[0059] After the cleaning agent dissolves the stains and odors in the air duct 200, the connecting valve on the second branch pipe is closed again, and cleaning water is introduced into the cleaning pipe 300 alone and sprayed into the air duct 200 to flush the air duct 200, and the flushing time is 40 seconds;

[0060] After flushing, reserve 30 seconds of drainage time, and then turn on the fan 205 to accelerate the evaporation of residual liquid in the air duct 200. During this process, the water mist sensor 204 in the air duct 200 monitors the residual liquid in various places in the air duct 200. When the water mist signal value feedback from the water mist sensor 204 at each place reaches below the preset value, turn off the fan 205, reopen the air outlet of the air duct 200, and the cleaning is completed.

[0061] During the cleaning process, the cleaning water and cleaning liquid flow down along the inner wall of the air duct 200 , gather at the drain port 201 at the bottom of the air duct 200 , and finally flow into the evaporating dish 500 through the drain pipe 202 connected to the drain port 201 .

[0062] It should be noted that in order to prevent the cleaning liquid from remaining in the cleaning pipe 300 after cleaning is completed, and to avoid the cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 300 from freezing during the subsequent refrigerator refrigeration process, causing the cleaning pipe 300 to be blocked or even burst, materials useful for lowering the freezing point of the cleaning liquid, such as salt, alcohol substances, etc., can be added to the cleaning water cavity. Preferably, methanol, ethanol and other alcohol substances are added. While lowering the freezing point of the cleaning liquid, it also plays a sterilization role in the cleaning process; alternatively, the cleaning pump 405 adopts a two-way water pump. After cleaning is completed, the cleaning pump 405 is turned on to draw the cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning pipe 300 back into the cleaning box 400.

[0063] In summary, the present invention sprays cleaning liquid into the air duct through a cleaning pipe embedded in the air duct plate along the air duct to achieve the cleaning of the air duct, without the need to disassemble the refrigerator, which is convenient, fast and low-cost.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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 changes 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 self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly, comprising an air duct plate (100), an air duct cover plate, and an air duct (200) formed between the air duct plate (100) and the air duct cover plate, characterized in that: The air duct assembly further includes a spray head (301) disposed at intervals in the air duct (200), the spray head (301) sprays cleaning liquid into the air duct (200), and a cleaning pipe (300) located outside the air duct (200) and connected to a plurality of the spray heads (301).

2. The self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning pipe (300) is fixed to the side of the air duct plate (100) or the air duct cover plate facing away from the air duct (200).

3. The self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The layout shape of the cleaning pipe (300) is inconsistent with the layout shape of the air duct (200).

4. The self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The layout shape of the cleaning pipe (300) is consistent with the layout shape of the air duct (200).

5. The self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning pipe (300) between two adjacent groups of the spray heads (301) extends linearly.

6. The self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: A groove (101) is formed in the side of the air duct plate (100) or the air duct cover plate facing away from the air duct (200), and the cleaning pipe (300) is embedded in the groove (101).

7. The self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spray head (301) is located at the middle position of the air duct (200) in the width direction, and sprays the cleaning liquid to all positions of the air duct (200).

8. The self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle part of the spray head (301) has a liquid inlet communicating with the cleaning pipe (300), and a pressure valve is arranged at the liquid inlet.

9. The self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: A water blocking member (206) is arranged at the air outlet of the air duct (200), the water blocking member (206) includes a driving member (206a) and a water blocking plate (206b) connected to the driving member (206a), and the driving member (206a) drives the water blocking plate (206b) to move in the height direction to open or close the air outlet.

10. A refrigerator, characterized in that: The self-cleaning refrigerator air duct assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9 further includes a water storage box (400) located in the refrigerator's refrigerating compartment for storing cleaning liquid, and the water storage box (400) is connected to the cleaning pipe (300).

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