Refrigerator

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of food unfreezing, and discloses a refrigerator which comprises a functional area, a refrigerator body and a refrigerator body. The unfreezing device and the functional area are arranged in a spaced mode, the unfreezing device comprises a humidifying device, a humidifying fan and an air duct assembly, the humidifying device is used for generating humidifying airflow, the air duct assembly constructs an unfreezing air duct, the humidifying device and the humidifying fan are installed in the air duct assembly, and the humidifying fan is used for generating humidifying airflow. And an outlet of the unfreezing air duct is communicated with the functional area. High-speed air flow is formed by the unfreezing fan, the unfreezing time is shortened, the unfreezing efficiency is improved, uniform unfreezing is guaranteed, local curing is avoided, meanwhile, the evaporator increases humidity for a functional area for unfreezing, food juice is preserved to the maximum extent, and the quality and taste of unfrozen food are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of food thawing, and particularly to a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the thawing method of food ingredients is usually natural thawing, which means placing the frozen food ingredients in a room temperature environment and relying on the ambient temperature for thawing. However, this thawing method has problems such as slow thawing speed and incomplete thawing. Since the food ingredients are exposed to the air, they are prone to being contaminated by bacteria and causing rotting and deterioration.

[0003] In order to improve the thawing speed and thawing quality, many thawing methods such as electric heating thawing, hot water thawing, running water thawing, air thawing, and refrigerated thawing have emerged in the prior art. However, the above-mentioned thawing methods all have certain drawbacks and thus cause certain adverse consequences. For example, problems such as the decline in the quality and taste of local cooking due to uneven heating, the loss of juice and microbial contamination caused by water immersion, and the poor user experience caused by a long thawing time. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in view of the deficiencies of the prior art, which solves the problems of local cooking during thawing and long thawing time in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a refrigerator including: a functional area, in which a first blower is provided; a thawing device, which is spaced apart from the functional area. The thawing device includes a humidifying device, a humidifying blower, and a duct assembly. The humidifying device is used to generate a humidified air flow. The duct assembly constructs a thawing duct. The humidifying device and the humidifying blower are installed in the duct assembly. The outlet of the thawing duct is communicated with the functional area.

[0006] The advantage of this refrigerator compared with the prior art is that: since the thawing blower continuously blows air on the food to be thawed, a large amount of moisture will be carried away during this process, resulting in the loss of moisture in the food and affecting the taste. Traditional refrigerators will add a humidifying device to moisturize the food to be thawed, while the refrigerator of the present invention does not additionally provide a humidifying component, but relies on the operation of the evaporator itself to humidify the food to be thawed. Thus, only relying on the relevant components such as the evaporator of the refrigerator itself, the humidity in the thawing area can be stabilized, so that the food to be thawed can continuously maintain humidity during the thawing process, avoiding moisture loss and affecting the taste.

[0007] In the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the functional area has a bottom wall, and the bottom wall includes a thawing table for carrying the object to be thawed. The air outlet end of the first blower faces the thawing table.

[0008] According to the refrigerator of an embodiment of the present invention, the first blower is installed above the thawing table, and the axis of the first blower forms an angle with the horizontal direction.

[0009] According to the refrigerator of an embodiment of the present invention, the functional area has a first side wall and a second side wall arranged opposite to each other. The air outlet of the thawing air duct is arranged on the second side wall, and the air outlet direction of the first blower is along the direction from the second side wall towards the first side wall.

[0010] According to the refrigerator of an embodiment of the present invention, a return air opening is further provided, and the return air opening is arranged on the first side wall or the bottom wall.

[0011] According to the refrigerator of an embodiment of the present invention, a return air opening is further provided. At least a part of the bottom wall is recessed to form the thawing table and a bottom wall flange higher than the thawing table, and the return air opening is arranged on the bottom wall flange.

[0012] According to the refrigerator of an embodiment of the present invention, the axis of the thawing air duct intersects with the plane where the thawing table is located.

[0013] According to the refrigerator of an embodiment of the present invention, the first blower is rotatably installed in the functional area.

[0014] According to the refrigerator of an embodiment of the present invention, the air outlet of the thawing air duct and the air outlet of the blower are spaced apart in the horizontal direction.

[0015] According to the refrigerator of an embodiment of the present invention, a sealing structure is further included. The sealing structure is installed on the wall surface of the functional area, and the air outlet of the thawing air duct and the first blower are installed in the sealing structure. Description of the Drawings

[0016] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious and easy to understand from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a thawing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a thawing air duct according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Reference numerals: 1, functional area; 2, evaporator; 3, humidifying blower; 4, thawing air duct; 5, first blower; 51, fixed sealing assembly; 6, first side wall; 7, second side wall; 8, thawing table. Detailed Embodiments

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, where like or similar reference numerals denote like or similar elements or elements having like 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.

[0019] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They 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. In addition, features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more.

[0020] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "mounted", "connected" and "coupled" shall be construed in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0021] To solve the problems in the prior art, such as the decline in the quality and taste of local ripening caused by uneven heating, the loss of juice and microbial contamination caused by water immersion, and the poor user experience caused by long thawing time, the present invention provides a refrigerator, including a functional area 1 and a thawing device.

[0022] A first blower 5 is provided in the functional area 1. The first blower 5 is a thawing blower, and its main function is to blow air directly at the frozen food placed in the functional area 1 to accelerate the flow rate of the frozen air in the functional area 1 and thaw the frozen food by high-speed wind pressure. The high-speed air flow can quickly transfer the heat in the refrigerator to the surface of the food and take away the cold air on the surface of the food, significantly shortening the thawing time. The blower circulating air flow can reduce the thawing dead angle and avoid local overheating or unfrozen areas, especially suitable for large pieces of ingredients, such as whole pieces of meat, etc. It is more uniform than microwave thawing and avoids the problem of edge ripening.

[0023] The thawing device is separately arranged from functional area 1, and the thawing device and functional area 1 cannot directly affect each other. The thawing device includes a humidifying device, a humidifying fan, and an air duct assembly.

[0024] The humidifying device is used to generate a humidifying air flow. The humidifying device includes an evaporator 2 or the humidifying device is the evaporator 2. Specifically, when the refrigerator's functional area 1 is in the semi-frozen working condition (when the functional area 1 is not thawing, it is in the semi-frozen working condition. In the semi-frozen working condition, the food can be stored for a long time and will not be completely frozen, and can be taken and used at any time), the evaporator 2 is in a normal working state and continuously refrigerates. During this process, its surface temperature is lower than the air dew point temperature, causing the water vapor in the flowing air to condense into liquid water and quickly freeze into frost below 0°C. The frost layer gradually thickens and accumulates on the surface of the evaporator 2. When the refrigerator's functional area 1 is in the thawing working condition, after starting to thaw, first control the evaporator 2 to stop refrigerating. For example, the evaporation of the refrigerant in the evaporator 2 can be stopped by means of a solenoid valve, etc. Then, in cooperation with the high-speed rotation of the humidifying fan 3, the high-temperature air in the functional area 1 is brought to the evaporator 2. At this time, the ice and frost on the surface of the evaporator 2 begin to melt, and the air humidity rapidly increases. The humidifying fan 3 plays a humidifying role at this time, and the humid air in the evaporator 2 is sent into the functional area 1 by means of the air flow to humidify the food to be thawed. When the surface temperature of the evaporator 2 reaches between 0 and 8°C, the relative humidity in the functional area 1 can be increased to more than 90%.

[0025] The advantage of this refrigerator compared with the prior art is that since the first fan 5 continuously blows air on the food to be thawed, a large amount of moisture will be carried away during this process, resulting in the loss of food moisture and affecting the taste. Traditional refrigerators will add a humidifying device to moisturize the food to be thawed, while the refrigerator of the present invention does not additionally set a humidifying component, but relies on the work of the evaporator 2 itself to humidify the food to be thawed. Thus, only relying on the relevant components such as the evaporator 2 of the refrigerator itself, the humidity in the thawing area can be stabilized, so that the food to be thawed can continuously maintain humidity during the thawing process, avoiding moisture loss and affecting the taste.

[0026] The air duct assembly constructs a thawing air duct 4, and the outlet of the thawing air duct 4 is communicated with the functional area 1. Specifically, when the evaporator 2 works, it refrigerates and forms cold air in the air duct assembly. A humidifying fan 3 is arranged in the air duct assembly, and the air blown by the humidifying fan 3 forms an air flow, bringing the cold air in the air duct assembly into the functional area 1 to refrigerate the functional area 1. Both ends of the air duct assembly are respectively communicated with the thawing device and the functional area 1. One side of the evaporator 2 is the thawing air duct 4, and the humidifying fan 3 sends the cold air in the air duct assembly through the thawing air duct 4 into the functional area 1; the other side of the evaporator 2 is a return air port, and the return air port is communicated with the functional area 1.

[0027] In some embodiments, the functional area 1 has a bottom wall, and the bottom wall includes a thawing table 8 for carrying the object to be thawed, and the air outlet end of the first blower 5 faces the thawing table 8.

[0028] In one embodiment, a plurality of grooves may be provided on the thawing table 8, and the grooves extend along the direction of the air flow, for example Figure 1 extending in the left-right direction, and a plurality of grooves are arranged at intervals along the direction perpendicular to the air flow. That is to say, the grooves are located below the food to be thawed, and a plurality of channels are formed below the food to be thawed, so that the food to be thawed is partially hollowed out. Thus, when the air flow passes through the food to be thawed, part of the air flow can flow through the bottom of the food to be thawed, thaw the bottom of the food to be thawed, prevent uneven thawing, and avoid local thawing.

[0029] In one embodiment, the bottom wall and the side wall of the functional area 1 are made of plastic. The advantage of using plastic material is that the plastic has a low thermal conductivity, which reduces the heat exchange between the side wall and the outside, avoids the formation of frost on the inner wall of the first functional area 1, and reduces the overall weight, making the push-pull smoother.

[0030] In some embodiments, the first blower 5 is installed above the thawing table 8, and the axis of the first blower 5 has an angle with the horizontal direction. The first blower 5 is used for thawing. By tilting the first blower 5, on the one hand, the first blower 5 can be set facing the food to be thawed, and the blown air just blows towards the food to be thawed. On the other hand, the air blown by the first blower 5 can form an air flow in the functional area 1, and the air flow circulation can accelerate the thawing speed of the food to be thawed.

[0031] In some embodiments, the functional area 1 has a first side wall 6 and a second side wall 7 arranged opposite to each other. The air outlet of the thawing air duct 4 is provided on the second side wall 7, and the air outlet direction of the first blower 5 is along the direction from the second side wall 7 close to the first side wall 6. In one embodiment, the second side wall 7 is configured as an inclined wall surface, and the angle between the inclined wall surface and the bottom wall of the functional area 1 is an acute angle. Thus, the air blown out from the thawing air duct 4 forms an air flow, and when passing through the inclined wall surface, the inclined wall surface can play a role in guiding the air flow, facilitating the air flow to pass through the food to be thawed. And, the inclined wall surface and the bottom wall of the functional area 1 form an acute angle. When the air flow flows through the inclined wall surface to the bottom wall, the return air flow generated relative to the right angle is smaller, which is convenient for increasing the air flow velocity, that is, improving the thawing efficiency.

[0032] In one embodiment, the first blower 5 can be arranged above the side close to the second side wall 7. Thus, the air blown out from the thawing air duct 4 and the air blown out by the first blower 5 can be in the same air flow, further strengthening the wind speed.

[0033] In one embodiment, the air return opening is provided on the first side wall 6 or the bottom wall. Thus, the air outlet of the thawing air duct 4 and / or the first blower 5 are arranged above the second side wall 7, and the air return opening is arranged on the first side wall 6 or the bottom wall. In this way, the air flow blows out from above the second side wall 7, slopes downwards and blows directly onto the food to be thawed, exchanges heat with the food to be thawed, and then is discharged from the first side wall 6 or the bottom wall. After being discharged, the air passes through the internal channel of the refrigerator and returns to the evaporator 2 to exchange heat again, and so on. That is to say, by the cooperation of the air outlet and the air return opening, an air flow is formed in the functional area 1, which can improve the thawing efficiency of the food.

[0034] In one embodiment, at least a part of the bottom wall is recessed to form a thawing table 8 and a bottom wall flange higher than the thawing table 8, and the air return opening is arranged on the bottom wall flange. Similarly, the air outlet of the thawing air duct 4 and / or the first blower 5 are arranged above the second side wall 7, and the air return opening is arranged on the bottom wall flange. In this way, the air flow blows out from above the second side wall 7, slopes downwards and blows directly onto the food to be thawed, exchanges heat with the food to be thawed, and then is discharged from the bottom wall flange. After being discharged, the air passes through the internal channel of the refrigerator and returns to the evaporator 2 to exchange heat again, and so on. Compared with directly arranging the air return opening on the first side wall 6 or the bottom wall, setting the recessed thawing table 8 can converge the cold air and conduct centralized heat exchange, improving the heat exchange efficiency and thus improving the thawing efficiency from another perspective.

[0035] In some embodiments, the axis of the thawing air duct 4 intersects the plane where the thawing table 8 is located. That is to say, the air blown out by the thawing air duct 4 is also blown out obliquely. Thus, on the one hand, the air outlet direction of the thawing air duct 4 can be set directly facing the food to be thawed, and the blown air just blows onto the food to be thawed. On the other hand, the air blown out by the thawing air duct 4 can form an air flow in the functional area 1, and the air flow circulation can accelerate the thawing speed of the food to be thawed.

[0036] In some embodiments, the first blower 5 is rotatably installed in the functional area 1.

[0037] Specifically, the food to be thawed is placed in the functional area 1, and the first blower 5 blows air for thawing directly facing the food to be thawed. Due to the different volumes and placement positions of the food, if it is necessary to ensure that the first blower 5 can directly face the food to be thawed, the orientation of the first blower 5 needs to be adjustable to ensure that the first blower 5 always blows air directly facing the food to be thawed and improve the thawing efficiency.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first blower 5 is sealed and installed in the functional area 1 and is sealed and installed through a fixed sealing assembly 51, and the first blower 5 cannot rotate.

[0039] In some embodiments, the refrigerator further includes a sealing structure, the sealing structure is installed on the wall surface of the functional area 1, and the air outlet of the thawing air duct 4 and the first blower 5 are installed in the sealing structure.

[0040] Specifically, the refrigerator is provided with a refrigerating area, and the sealing structure is a sealing partition. The functional area 1 is separated from the refrigerating area by the sealing partition. At least part of the sealing partition has a sandwich layer filled with heat-insulating material. The advantage of setting the sealing partition is that the sealing structure blocks the cold air interference between the refrigerating area and the functional area 1, maintains a constant temperature in the thawing area (such as 0-4°C), avoids the deterioration of food materials caused by repeated freezing and thawing, and when combined with the fan circulation, the sealed environment can concentrate the heat of the air flow and accelerate thawing (the efficiency is more than 30% higher than that in the open area).

[0041] In one embodiment, the sealing partition includes a fully sealed partition and a semi-sealed partition. The fully sealed partition adopts a completely closed structure to strictly isolate the functional area 1 from other compartments of the refrigerator. The advantage is that it is conducive to precise temperature control, isolates external heat and cold interference, and maintains a stable thawing temperature (such as 0-4°C), which is suitable for temperature-sensitive food materials. The semi-sealed partition is partially closed (such as a slide drawer design without a sealing ring), and there is limited air exchange with other areas of the refrigerator. The advantage is that the structure is simple, the push-pull is smooth, there is no need to close it deliberately, it is commonly used in popular refrigerators, and the sealing performance is less affected by frequent opening and closing.

[0042] In some embodiments, the first fan 5 is communicated with the thawing air duct 4, and the thawing air duct 4 directly leads to the air inlet end of the first fan 5. The first fan 5 has the effect of accelerating the air speed. The cold and humid air in the air duct assembly enters the air inlet end of the first fan 5 under the action of the humidifying fan 3 and is blown out by the first fan 5 for synchronous thawing and humidifying.

[0043] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 ., the first fan 5 is not communicated with the thawing air duct 4, and the air inlet end of the first fan 5 is not communicated with the thawing air duct 4. It can be communicated with the refrigerating compartment to send the cold air in the refrigerating compartment into the functional area 1, and the first fan 5 thaws through the high-speed air flow. The wet and cold air in the thawing air duct 4 directly enters the functional area 1 to provide humidity for the food to be thawed. The first fan 5 can be arranged close to the thawing air duct 4. Thus, when the first fan 5 blows air to thaw the food to be thawed, the wet air can be covered on the surface of the food to be thawed at the same time.

[0044] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "schematic embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0045] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, Comprising: A functional area, in which a first blower is provided; A thawing device, which is arranged separately from the functional area. The thawing device includes an evaporator, a humidifying blower and a duct assembly. The evaporator is used to generate a humidifying air flow. The duct assembly constructs a thawing air duct. The evaporator and the humidifying blower are installed in the duct assembly. The outlet of the thawing air duct is communicated with the functional area; When the functional area is in the semi-freezing working condition, the evaporator is in the refrigeration state; When the functional area is in the thawing working condition, the evaporator is in the non-refrigeration state.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The functional area has a bottom wall, and the bottom wall includes a thawing table for carrying the object to be thawed. The air outlet end of the first blower faces the thawing table.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein The first blower is installed above the thawing table, and the axis of the first blower has an included angle with the horizontal direction.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein The functional area has a first side wall and a second side wall arranged oppositely. The air outlet of the thawing air duct is arranged on the second side wall, and the air outlet direction of the first blower is along the direction from the second side wall to the first side wall.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, A return air outlet is also provided, and the return air outlet is arranged on the first side wall or the bottom wall.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein, A return air outlet is also provided. At least part of the bottom wall is recessed to form the thawing table and a bottom wall flange higher than the thawing table, and the return air outlet is arranged on the bottom wall flange.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The axis of the thawing air duct intersects with the plane where the thawing table is located.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein, The first blower is rotatably installed in the functional area.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air outlet of the thawing air duct and the air outlet of the blower are spaced apart in the horizontal direction.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, It further includes a sealing structure, and the sealing structure is installed on the wall surface of the functional area, and the air outlet of the thawing air duct and the first blower are installed in the sealing structure.

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