Refrigerator air duct assembly and refrigerator with same

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator air duct assembly and a refrigerator with the same, the 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 is characterized in that the air duct assembly further comprises a cleaning pipeline fixed on the air duct plate, the cleaning pipeline is used for cleaning the air duct, and the cleaning pipeline is used for cleaning the air duct. The cleaning pipeline is arranged in the middle or at the edge of the air duct in the width direction. According to the refrigerator, the cleaning liquid is sprayed into the air duct through the cleaning pipeline fixed to the air duct assembly along the air duct, so that cleaning of the air duct is achieved, 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 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 decrease 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 assembly that can clean 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 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 cleaning pipeline fixed on the air duct plate, the cleaning pipeline is used for cleaning the air duct, and the cleaning pipeline is arranged at the middle or edge position along the width direction of the air duct.

[0005] As a further improvement of the present invention, all the cleaning pipelines are arranged at the middle along the width direction of the air duct;

[0006] Or, a part of the cleaning pipelines are arranged at the middle along the width direction of the air duct, and another part of the cleaning pipelines are arranged at the edge along the width direction of the air duct.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the air duct includes a main air duct located in the middle of the air duct plate, and a plurality of shunt air ducts located on both sides of the main air duct and used for connecting the main air duct and the air duct outlet. The main air duct extends along the height direction, the shunt air ducts are arranged at intervals along the height direction, and extend obliquely upward or downward from the main air duct to the air duct outlet;

[0008] The cleaning pipeline located in the main air duct is arranged at the middle along the width direction of the main air duct, and the cleaning pipeline located in the shunt air duct is arranged at the middle or edge along the width direction of the shunt air duct.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the inner diameter of the cleaning pipeline located in the main air duct is larger than the inner diameter of the cleaning pipeline located in the shunt air duct.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, a fan is arranged in the main air duct, and the cleaning pipeline located in the main air duct and the fan are arranged at intervals.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, a groove is formed in the air duct plate, the groove is arranged along the air duct, and the cleaning pipeline is embedded in the groove.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, at least part of the cleaning pipeline is embedded in the groove.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the cleaning pipeline is fixed to the air duct plate through a nozzle

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, a heat preservation layer is arranged outside the cleaning pipeline; or, the pipe wall of the cleaning pipeline includes an outer wall, an inner wall, and a vacuum cavity located between the outer wall and the inner wall.

[0015] The present invention also provides a refrigerator, which includes the above-mentioned refrigerator air duct assembly.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention: The present invention sprays a cleaning liquid into the air duct through a cleaning pipeline fixed to the air duct assembly along the air duct, so as to clean the air duct, without disassembling the refrigerator, which is convenient, fast and low-cost. Description of the Drawings

[0017] 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 of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a layout mode of the cleaning pipeline of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 is Figure 1 exploded structure diagram;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of another layout mode of the cleaning pipeline of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 is Figure 3 exploded structure diagram;

[0022] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of another layout mode of the cleaning pipeline of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the fixing method of the cleaning pipeline of the present invention through a nozzle;

[0024] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the air duct structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 8 is Figure 7Schematic enlarged structure diagram of A;

[0026] Figure 9 is Figure 7 Schematic enlarged structure diagram of B in Detailed implementation manners

[0027] 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 rather than all of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0028] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. 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 only for explaining 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 "mounted", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can be mechanically connected or electrically connected, or the internal communication of two elements can be realized. They 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 situations.

[0031] As Figures 1 to 9 shown, it is the refrigerator air duct assembly of the present invention, which includes an air duct plate 100, an air duct 200 and a cleaning pipeline 300.

[0032] Among them, the air duct plate 100 is arranged inside the refrigerator cabinet, and 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.

[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, the shunt air ducts are arranged at intervals in the height direction, and the shunt air ducts are used to evenly shunt the refrigerating 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, and the dimension of the main air duct in the width direction is greater than the dimension of the shunt air duct in the width direction.

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

[0035] The cleaning pipeline 300 is arranged along 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 compartment. And 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 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 of the air duct 200.

[0036] Further, a drain port 201 is opened at the lowest point of the air duct 200. The cleaning liquid sprayed into the air duct 200 flows down along the air duct 200 and is finally discharged through the drain port 201.

[0037] The air duct 200 further includes a drain trough 202 opened along its lower edge. The drain trough 202 extends along the lower edge of the air duct 200 to the drain port 201, and the drain trough 202 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 drain trough 202 at the lower edge of the air duct 200, and finally converges along the drain trough 202 to the drain port 201 at the bottom of the air duct 200 and is discharged.

[0038] The opening depth of the drain trough 202 is 0.5 - 1 cm, and the opening depth of the drain trough 202 can be determined according to the area of the air duct 200 and the flow value of the cleaning pipeline 300. By opening the drain trough 202, the cleaning liquid can be effectively prevented from remaining in the air duct 200.

[0039] A water mist sensor 203 is further provided in the air duct 200, and the water mist sensor 203 is used to detect the residual cleaning liquid in the air duct 200. The water mist sensor 203 is arranged at a position in the air duct 200 where the cleaning liquid is likely to remain.

[0040] Specifically, the water mist sensor 203 is located at the position with the smallest inclination angle in the air duct 200. In this embodiment, the water mist sensor 203 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. The water mist sensors 400 are also arranged on both sides of the drain port 201, and the water mist sensors 400 here can detect the discharge situation of the cleaning liquid to prevent the drain port 201 from being blocked and unable to discharge the cleaning liquid in time.

[0041] A water blocking member 204 is further provided at the air outlet of the air duct 200, and the water blocking member 204 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.

[0042] The water blocking member 204 includes a driving member 204a and a water blocking plate 204b connected to the driving member 204a. The driving member 204a drives the water blocking plate 204b to move in the height direction to open or close the air outlet. An installation cavity is formed on the air duct assembly 700, and the driving member 204a is fixed in the installation cavity. The driving member 204a 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 204b. When it is necessary to open or close the air outlet of the air duct 200, the driving motor is started. The driving motor works to drive the rotating gear at the output end to rotate. The rotating gear rotates to drive the rack meshing with it to move up or down, and further drives the water blocking plate 204b to move up into the installation cavity to open the air outlet or move down into the air duct 200 to close the air outlet.

[0043] A water guiding portion is arranged on the surface of the bottom of the water blocking plate 204b facing the air duct 200. The water guiding portion has an inclined surface extending towards the air duct 200 from top to bottom. When the water blocking plate 204b 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 from the cleaning pipeline 300 onto the water blocking plate 204b flows back into the air duct 200 along the water guiding portion.

[0044] A fan 205 is also provided in the air duct 200. The fan 205 is located in the middle 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. It should be particularly noted that the cleaning pipeline 300 is arranged to avoid the fan 205 to prevent the cleaning liquid from being sprayed onto the fan 205.

[0045] In this embodiment, a box body is provided in the refrigerator's refrigerating compartment. The box body is provided with an independent cleaning water cavity and a cleaning agent cavity. 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 a 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 provided 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.

[0046] Further, the water supply pipe includes a water supply main pipe connected to the cleaning pipeline 300, a first branch pipe communicated with the water supply main 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 a cleaning liquid and sprayed into the air duct 200. The cleaning pump is located on the water supply main 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 water supply main pipe.

[0047] A communication valve is also provided on the second branch pipe, which can supply the mixed cleaning liquid or supply cleaning water alone to the cleaning pipeline 300.

[0048] By placing the box body storing the cleaning liquid in the refrigerating compartment, it is convenient for the installation of the box body and the subsequent addition of the cleaning liquid. At the same time, the box body located in the refrigerating compartment 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.

[0049] Further, the cleaning pipeline 300 is arranged along the air duct 200. 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, thereby realizing the overall cleaning of the air duct 200 and preventing dust and bacteria from gathering in the air duct 200.

[0050] The cleaning pipeline 300 includes a main water inlet pipe 302 and a plurality of cleaning branch pipes 303 communicated with the main water inlet pipe 302. The cleaning branch pipes 303 are arranged in a tree shape along the air duct 200 and are consistent with the shape of the air duct 200 to spray cleaning liquid to various positions of the air duct 200.

[0051] One end of the main water inlet pipe 302 is connected to the box body located in the refrigerated room through a cleaning pump, and the other end is connected to the cleaning branch pipes 303 located in the air duct 200. The main water inlet pipe 302 is connected below the cleaning branch pipes 303. The flow direction of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning branch pipes 303 is from bottom to top. The number of the cleaning branch pipes 303 is the same as the number of the shunt channels. The cleaning liquid in the box body flows into the cleaning branch pipes 303 through the main water inlet pipe 302, and then is sprayed to various positions of the air duct 200 through the cleaning branch pipes 303 to complete the cleaning of the air duct 200.

[0052] Further, the cleaning branch pipes 303 at least extend to the connection position between the air inlet section and the air outlet section. Due to the change of the inclination angle between the air inlet section and the air outlet section, there is an inflection point between the two. It is difficult for the cleaning branch pipes 303 located at the air inlet section to spray the cleaning liquid to the air outlet section and achieve full coverage of the air outlet section. Therefore, the cleaning branch pipes 303 are extended to the connection position between the two to achieve full spraying of the air duct 200.

[0053] The cleaning pipeline 300 further includes spray heads 301 arranged at intervals thereon. Specifically, the spray heads 301 are arranged at intervals on the cleaning branch pipes 303. The cleaning liquid flowing into the cleaning branch pipes 303 is evenly sprayed into the air duct 200 through the spray heads 301.

[0054] In this embodiment, the spray heads 301 adopt umbrella-shaped spray heads. A plurality of groups of water spray openings are circumferentially arranged on the spray heads 301. An outlet for communicating the cleaning branch pipes 303 and the water spray openings is arranged at the center of the spray heads 301. The cleaning liquid in the cleaning branch pipes 303 flows into the spray heads 301 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 heads 301 and is sprayed out from the water spray openings, so as to ensure that the spray heads 301 have a certain spraying range and a certain water pressure value to improve the cleaning efficiency of the air duct 200.

[0055] Further, the inner diameter of the cleaning branch pipe 303 located in the main air duct is larger than that of the cleaning branch pipe 303 located in the shunt air duct. The cleaning branch pipe 303 located in the shunt air duct is far from the water inlet main pipe 302. To ensure that the water pressure values at various places in the cleaning branch pipe 303 are approximately the same, the inner diameter of the cleaning branch pipe 303 located in the shunt air duct is reduced to increase the water pressure value therein, ensuring that the spray head 301 has a certain spray range and a certain water pressure value.

[0056] The spray head 301 is provided at the end of the cleaning branch pipe 303 close to the air outlet of the air duct 200, and the distance between the spray head 301 and the air outlet is greater than the spray range of the spray head 301. In this way, the cleaning liquid sprayed by the spray head 301 will not enter the air outlet or even the compartment, preventing the residue of the cleaning liquid.

[0057] The spacing between the spray heads 301 located in the main air duct is smaller than the spacing between the spray heads 301 located in the shunt air duct. The main air duct is relatively wide and large in area, and the number of spray heads 301 distributed therein is large; the shunt air duct is relatively narrow and small in area, and the number of spray heads 301 distributed therein is small, so as to achieve full-range coverage spraying of the air duct 200.

[0058] Refer to Figures 1 to 5 In an embodiment, the air duct plate 100 is provided with a groove 101, and the cleaning branch pipe 303 is embedded in the groove 101 to achieve fixation. At least part of the cleaning branch pipe 303 is embedded in the groove 101, and the opening depth of the groove 101 can be adjusted adaptively according to needs.

[0059] Refer to Figures 1 to 4 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 branch pipe 303 is fixed at the middle position of the air duct 200, and the spray head 301 can spray the cleaning liquid evenly in all directions, so that the cleaning branch pipe 303 has the largest spray range and the highest cleaning efficiency; when the groove 101 is opened along the edge position of the air duct 200, the cleaning branch pipe 303 is fixed at the edge position of the air duct 200, and the spray head 301 sprays in a fan shape upward or downward, which can reduce the influence of the cleaning branch pipe 303 on the air supply of the air duct 200.

[0060] Preferably, the groove 101 located in the main air duct is opened along the middle of the main air duct, and the groove 101 located in the shunt air duct is opened along the upper edge of the shunt air duct, so as to reduce the obstruction of the cleaning branch pipe 303 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.

[0061] When the cleaning branch pipe 303 is fixed in the air duct 200 in a manner of being embedded in the groove 101, the water mist sensor 203 is also located at the intersection of the cleaning branch pipes 303. The cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle 301 flows down along the inner wall of the air duct 200 and may accumulate at the intersection position of the cleaning branch pipes 303 due to the obstruction of the cleaning branch pipes 303. Therefore, the water mist sensor 203 is arranged here to monitor the residual cleaning liquid.

[0062] Refer to Figure 5 , 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 branch pipe 303 is embedded in the groove 101 to hide the cleaning branch pipe 303, and at the same time, it does not affect the circulation of the refrigerated air in the air duct 200. The nozzle 301 passes through the air duct plate 100 and is exposed in the air duct 200 to spray the cleaning liquid in the cleaning branch pipe 303 into the air duct 200 through the nozzle 301. And the position where the nozzle 301 passes through the air duct plate 100 is sealed. Hiding the cleaning branch pipe 303 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 branch pipe 303.

[0063] Refer to Figure 6 , in another embodiment, the cleaning branch pipe 303 is fixed by the nozzle 301. The nozzles 301 are arranged at intervals along the air duct 200 and are fixed in the air duct 200 by means of embedding, adsorption, etc. The cleaning branch pipe 303 is fixed with the nozzle 301 as the positioning point, and there is no need to open the groove 101. The nozzle 301 can be arranged at the middle or edge position of the air duct 200, and the layout position of the cleaning branch pipe 303 is defined by the installation position of the nozzle 301. For details, please refer to the previous embodiment.

[0064] Further, the nozzle 303 has a connecting portion fixed to the air duct plate 100. The nozzle 303 and the cleaning pipeline 300 are located at one end of the connecting portion away from the air duct plate 100. In this way, the nozzle 303 and the cleaning pipeline 300 can be lifted, so that the nozzle 303 and the cleaning pipeline 300 are away from the inner wall of the air duct 200, and the cleaning liquid sprayed into the air duct 200 can flow down unobstructed by the cleaning pipeline 300 and converge at the drain port 201 and be discharged.

[0065] The cleaning steps of the air duct 200 are as follows:

[0066] When the refrigerator air duct 200 needs to be cleaned, the air outlet of the air duct 200 is first closed, and the air outlet is closed by the water blocking member 204, so as to prevent the cleaning liquid from entering the refrigerator compartment from the air outlet during the cleaning process;

[0067] The cleaning water is sprayed into the air duct 200 to infiltrate the air duct 200, the connecting valve on the second branch pipe is closed, the cleaning pump is started to pressurize and extract the cleaning water in the first box body into the cleaning branch pipe 303, and when the pressure value in the cleaning branch pipe 303 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 20s, and the entire air duct 200 is infiltrated;

[0068] After the infiltration is completed, the connecting valve on the second branch pipe is opened, and the cleaning pump is started to pressurize and extract the cleaning water in the first box body and the cleaning agent in the second box body. The cleaning liquid mixed by the two is passed into the cleaning branch pipe 303, 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;

[0069] 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 branch pipe 303 alone and sprayed into the air duct 200 to flush the air duct 200. The flushing time is 40 seconds.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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 are finally discharged through an external pipe.

[0072] Furthermore, the inventors have found that if liquid remains in the cleaning branch pipe 303 after cleaning, the liquid remaining in the cleaning branch pipe 303 will freeze during the subsequent refrigerator refrigeration process, causing the cleaning branch pipe 303 to be blocked or even burst. In order to avoid the above risks, the present invention adopts but is not limited to the following solutions.

[0073] In the first solution, after cleaning is completed, the liquid in the cleaning branch pipe 303 is drained.

[0074] In one embodiment, the cleaning branch pipe 303 located in the shunt channel extends obliquely upward from the main air duct to the air outlet, and the connection point of the cleaning branch pipe 303 and the water supply pipe is located at the lowest point of the cleaning branch pipe 303. In this way, after the cleaning is completed, the liquid remaining in the cleaning branch pipe 303 will naturally flow back into the water supply pipe under the action of gravity, thereby preventing the remaining liquid from freezing and causing blockage or even bursting of the cleaning branch pipe 303.

[0075] In another embodiment, a water leakage hole is opened at the downward bending part of the cleaning branch pipe 303. The liquid at the downward bending part of the cleaning branch pipe 303 cannot naturally flow back into the water supply pipe. Therefore, 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 branch pipe 303, preventing the internal water pressure of the cleaning branch pipe 303 from not reaching the set value of the pressure valve during the cleaning process and unable to achieve the spray cleaning of the air duct 200 by the nozzle 301.

[0076] In another embodiment, a pressure reducing valve is provided at the downward bending part of the cleaning branch pipe 303. When the cleaning pump supplies cleaning liquid into the cleaning branch pipe 303 for cleaning, the internal water pressure of the cleaning branch pipe 303 is relatively high, and the pressure reducing valve remains closed, and the pressure valve opens to spray the cleaning liquid through the nozzle 301; after the cleaning is completed, the internal water pressure of the cleaning branch pipe 303 decreases, the pressure valve closes, and the pressure reducing valve opens, and the liquid remaining in the bending part drains from the pressure reducing valve into the air duct 200.

[0077] 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 branch pipe 303 back into the box body, thereby preventing the remaining liquid from freezing and causing blockage or even bursting of the cleaning branch pipe 303.

[0078] In the second type of solution, it is to prevent the liquid remaining in the cleaning branch pipe 303 from freezing at low temperatures.

[0079] In one embodiment, heat preservation treatment is carried out on the cleaning branch pipe 303, and a heat preservation layer is provided on the outer layer of the cleaning branch pipe 303, thereby preventing the liquid remaining in the cleaning branch pipe 303 from freezing.

[0080] In another embodiment, the pipe wall of the cleaning branch pipe 303 includes an outer wall, an inner wall, and a vacuum chamber located between the outer wall and the inner wall. The vacuum chamber can effectively isolate the heat exchange between the cold air in the air duct 200 and the liquid remaining in the cleaning branch pipe 303, thereby preventing the liquid remaining in the cleaning branch pipe 303 from freezing.

[0081] In another embodiment, a heating wire is used to provide heat for the cleaning branch pipe 303 to prevent the liquid remaining therein from freezing. The heating wire can be arranged inside the cleaning branch pipe 303 or along the position where the cleaning branch pipe 303 is arranged. When the refrigerator is refrigerating, a certain amount of heat is provided for the cleaning branch pipe 303 through the heating wire, so as to prevent the liquid remaining in the cleaning branch pipe 303 from freezing. A temperature sensor is also arranged inside the cleaning branch pipe 303, and it is only necessary 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 reducing the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator.

[0082] 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.

[0083] All the above solutions for preventing the cleaning branch pipe 303 from being blocked or even burst due to liquid freezing can be used in combination of any two or more.

[0084] In summary, the present invention sprays the cleaning liquid into the air duct 200 through the cleaning pipeline 300 fixed on the air duct plate 100 along the air duct 200 to realize the cleaning of the air duct 200, without disassembling the refrigerator, which is convenient, fast and low-cost.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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 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 cleaning pipeline (300) fixed to the air duct plate (100), the cleaning pipeline (300) is used to clean the air duct (200), and the cleaning pipeline (300) is arranged at the middle or edge position in the width direction of the air duct (200).

2. The refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: All of the cleaning pipelines (300) are arranged at the middle in the width direction of the air duct (200); Alternatively, a part of the cleaning pipelines (300) are arranged at the middle in the width direction of the air duct (200), and another part of the cleaning pipelines (300) are arranged at the edge in the width direction of the air duct (200).

3. The refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air duct (200) includes a main air duct located in the middle of the air duct plate (100), and a plurality of shunt air ducts located on both sides of the main air duct and connecting the main air duct and the air duct outlet. The main air duct extends in the height direction, and the plurality of shunt air ducts are arranged at intervals in the height direction and extend obliquely upward or downward from the main air duct to the air duct outlet; The cleaning pipeline (300) located in the main air duct is arranged at the middle in the width direction of the main air duct, and the cleaning pipeline (300) located in the shunt air duct is arranged at the middle or edge in the width direction of the shunt air duct.

4. The refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the cleaning pipeline (300) located in the main air duct is larger than the inner diameter of the cleaning pipeline (300) located in the shunt air duct.

5. The refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: A blower (205) is arranged in the main air duct, and the cleaning pipeline (300) and the blower (205) located in the main air duct are arranged at intervals.

6. The refrigerator air duct assembly according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: A groove (101) is formed in the air duct plate (100), the groove (101) is formed along the air duct (200), and the cleaning pipeline (300) is embedded in the groove (101).

7. The refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: At least part of the cleaning pipeline (300) is embedded in the groove (101).

8. The refrigerator air duct assembly according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: The cleaning pipeline (300) is fixed to the air duct plate (100) through a nozzle (301).

9. The refrigerator air duct assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heat insulation layer is arranged outside the cleaning pipeline (300); Alternatively, the pipe wall of the cleaning pipeline (300) includes an outer wall, an inner wall, and a vacuum cavity located between the outer wall and the inner wall.

10. A refrigerator, characterized in that: A refrigerator air duct assembly according to any one of claims 1-9 is included.

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