Vaccine refrigerator

Abstract

This application relates to the field of vaccine storage equipment technology. This application discloses a vaccine cold storage box comprising: a box body, a cold storage box, a refrigeration system, and a controller. The box body is provided with a freezing zone and a refrigeration zone, and the refrigeration zone is further provided with a storage zone and a cold storage zone. The cold storage box is installed within the cold storage zone and is used to store a cold storage medium. The cold storage box has a first wall and a second wall. The first wall faces the storage zone, and the second wall is opposite or adjacent to the first wall. The second wall is thermally connected to the inner liner of the refrigeration zone and exchanges heat to transfer cold energy to the storage zone through the inner liner. The refrigeration system includes a freezing evaporator and a refrigeration evaporator. The freezing evaporator is used to cool the freezing zone, and the refrigeration evaporator is used to cool the cold storage box. The controller is used to selectively control the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator according to the temperatures of the freezing zone and the refrigeration zone.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vaccine storage equipment technology, such as a vaccine refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous innovation of medical cold chain technology, vaccine refrigerators, as key equipment for ensuring the safe storage of vaccines and other biological products, have become a focus of user attention due to their temperature stability and the duration of cold storage during power outages. Especially in underdeveloped areas with unstable power infrastructure or harsh climates, vaccines have extremely high requirements for their storage environment. Any drastic temperature fluctuations or prolonged power outages can lead to vaccine deactivation, placing higher demands on the design of the cold storage structure inside the refrigerator and its heat exchange efficiency.

[0003] In related technologies, vaccine refrigerators typically utilize phase change energy storage materials (such as water or eutectic salt solutions) to enhance heat preservation capabilities after a power outage. Existing assembly schemes generally fall into two categories: one involves arranging independent cold storage ice briquettes within the refrigerator compartment to cool the vaccines through natural air convection or direct thermal radiation; the other involves setting up a dedicated cold storage chamber with an evaporator installed inside, and then using specialized cooling pipes to direct the generated cooling energy to the refrigerator area below.

[0004] In the process of implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, at least the following problems were found in the related art: In related technologies, traditional cold storage structures, if using indirect conduction methods such as cold pipes, suffer from problems such as limited heat exchange area, insufficient temperature uniformity inside the chamber, and rapid temperature recovery after power failure.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this application, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments, a brief summary is given below. This summary is not a general commentary, nor is it intended to identify key / important components or describe the scope of protection of these embodiments, but rather serves as a prelude to the detailed description that follows.

[0007] This disclosure provides a vaccine refrigerator that can expand the heat exchange area from a local pipe surface to the entire inner wall of the refrigerator, effectively improving the heat exchange area and the temperature uniformity inside the refrigerator, and effectively slowing down the temperature recovery rate after a power outage when combined with a cold storage medium.

[0008] This disclosure provides a vaccine refrigerator comprising: a housing, a cold storage box, a refrigeration system, and a controller. The housing has a freezing zone and a refrigeration zone, with the refrigeration zone further comprising a storage zone and a cold storage zone. The cold storage box is installed within the cold storage zone and is used to store a cold storage medium. The cold storage box has a first wall and a second wall. The first wall faces the storage zone, and the second wall is opposite or adjacent to the first wall. The second wall is thermally connected to the inner liner of the refrigeration zone and exchanges heat to transfer cold energy to the storage zone through the inner liner. The refrigeration system includes a freezing evaporator and a refrigeration evaporator. The freezing evaporator cools the freezing zone, and the refrigeration evaporator cools the cold storage box. The controller selectively controls the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator based on the temperatures of the freezing zone and the refrigeration zone.

[0009] In some embodiments, the vaccine refrigerator further includes a heat insulation element. The heat insulation element is fixedly disposed between the storage area and the cold storage area to impede heat exchange between the first wall and the storage area.

[0010] In some embodiments, the cold storage box includes a plurality of second walls, and the plurality of second walls together with the first wall enclose and define the internal space of the cold storage box.

[0011] In some embodiments, the vaccine refrigerator further includes a temperature detection component. The temperature detection component is used to acquire the storage zone temperature T1, the freezing zone temperature T2, and the cold storage tank temperature T3; selectively controlling the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator based on the temperatures of the freezing zone and the refrigeration zone includes: selectively controlling the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator based on the storage zone temperature T1, the freezing zone temperature T2, and the cold storage tank temperature T3.

[0012] In some embodiments, when both the storage zone temperature T1 and the freezing zone temperature T2 are higher than the first temperature threshold θ1, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow simultaneously through the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator to achieve rapid cooling of the cold storage box and the storage zone.

[0013] In some embodiments, when the storage zone temperature T1 is lower than or equal to the first temperature threshold θ1 and higher than or equal to the second temperature threshold θ2, and the freezing zone temperature T2 is lower than or equal to the third temperature threshold θ3: if the cold storage box temperature T3 is higher than the fourth temperature threshold θ4, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow only through the refrigeration evaporator to store cold in the cold storage box; if the cold storage box temperature T3 is lower than or equal to the fourth temperature threshold θ4, the controller controls the refrigeration system to stop refrigeration, and the cold storage box maintains the temperature stability of the storage zone through natural convection heat exchange via the refrigeration inner liner; wherein, the first temperature threshold θ1 is higher than the second temperature threshold θ2, and the fourth preset temperature threshold θ4 is the phase change temperature of the cold storage medium.

[0014] In some embodiments, when the storage zone temperature T1 is lower than or equal to a first temperature threshold θ1 and higher than or equal to a second temperature threshold θ2, and the freezing zone temperature T2 is higher than a third temperature threshold θ3: if the cold storage box temperature T3 is higher than a fourth temperature threshold θ4, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow through both the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator simultaneously to achieve rapid cooling of the cold storage box and the storage zone; if the cold storage box temperature T3 is lower than or equal to the fourth temperature threshold θ4, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow only through the freezing evaporator to cool the freezing zone.

[0015] In some embodiments, when the storage zone temperature T1 is higher than or equal to a first temperature threshold θ1 and the freezing zone temperature T2 is lower than or equal to a third temperature threshold θ3, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow only through the refrigeration evaporator to store cold in the cold storage box.

[0016] In some embodiments, the vaccine refrigerator further includes a heating device. The heating device is electrically connected to a controller; wherein the controller is configured to selectively control the heating device to heat the refrigerator compartment based on the temperature of the refrigerator compartment.

[0017] In some embodiments, when the storage area temperature T1 is lower than the second temperature threshold θ2, the controller controls the heating device to heat the refrigerated area.

[0018] The vaccine refrigerator provided in this disclosure can achieve the following technical effects: This disclosure provides a vaccine refrigerator comprising: a housing, a cold storage box, a refrigeration system, and a controller. The housing has a freezing zone and a refrigeration zone, with the refrigeration zone further comprising a storage zone and a cold storage zone. The cold storage box is installed within the cold storage zone and is used to store a cold storage medium. The cold storage box has a first wall and a second wall. The first wall faces the storage zone, and the second wall is opposite or adjacent to the first wall. The second wall is thermally connected to the inner liner of the refrigeration zone and exchanges heat to transfer cold energy to the storage zone through the inner liner. The refrigeration system includes a freezing evaporator and a refrigeration evaporator. The freezing evaporator cools the freezing zone, and the refrigeration evaporator cools the cold storage box. The controller selectively controls the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator based on the temperatures of the freezing zone and the refrigeration zone. In this way, the medium inside the cold storage box can be cooled by the refrigeration system, and the cold energy can be efficiently transferred to the highly thermally conductive inner liner using the second wall of the cold storage box. This transforms the entire inner liner wall into a uniform secondary cold source, forcing the cold energy to be transferred in a controlled manner through the inner liner path. This design expands the heat exchange area from the local pipe surface to the entire inner liner wall, greatly increasing the heat exchange area. At the same time, the natural convection induced by heat dissipation from the entire wall significantly improves the temperature uniformity inside the box. Combined with the indirect heat exchange method of the high thermal inertia of the cold storage medium, it effectively slows down the temperature recovery rate after a power outage, ensuring the safe storage of vaccines in environments with unstable power.

[0019] The above general description and the description below are exemplary and illustrative only and are not intended to limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0020] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations and drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are shown as similar elements. The drawings are not to be scaled. And wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vaccine refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a box provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cold storage box provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 4 This is a top view of a vaccine refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Cross-sectional view at point AA; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigeration system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure label: 10: Cabinet body; 11: Freezer compartment; 12: Refrigerator compartment; 121: Storage area; 122: Cold storage area; 123: Refrigerator inner liner; 13: Insulation component; 14: Heating device; 20: Cold storage box; 21: First wall surface; 22: Second wall surface; 30: Refrigeration system; 31: Freezing evaporator; 32: Refrigeration evaporator; 33: Compressor; 34: Condenser; 35: Valve body. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To provide a more detailed understanding of the features and technical content of the embodiments of this disclosure, the implementation of the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. In the following technical description, for ease of explanation, several details are used to provide a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments may still be implemented without these details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices may be simplified in their depiction to simplify the drawings.

[0023] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this disclosure described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0024] In this disclosure, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "middle," "outer," "front," and "rear," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for better description of the embodiments of this disclosure and their implementations, and are not intended to limit the indicated devices, elements, or components to having a specific orientation, or to require them to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Furthermore, some of the aforementioned terms may be used to indicate other meanings besides orientation or positional relationship; for example, the term "upper" may in some cases indicate a dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] Furthermore, the terms "set up," "connect," and "fix" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0026] Unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" means two or more.

[0027] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the character " / " indicates that the objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B.

[0028] The term "and / or" describes an association between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or A and B.

[0029] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0030] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides a vaccine refrigerator that can expand the heat exchange area from a local pipe surface to the entire inner wall of the refrigerator, effectively improving the heat exchange area and the temperature uniformity inside the refrigerator, and effectively slowing down the temperature recovery rate after power failure when combined with a cold storage medium.

[0031] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown in the figure, this disclosure provides a vaccine refrigerator box including: a box body 10, a cold storage box 20, a refrigeration system 30, and a controller. The cabinet 10 is provided with a freezing zone 11 and a refrigeration zone 12, and the refrigeration zone 12 is provided with a storage zone 121 and a cold storage zone 122. The cold storage box 20 is installed in the cold storage zone 122 and is used to store the cold storage medium. The cold storage box 20 has a first wall 21 and a second wall 22. The first wall 21 is arranged facing the storage zone 121, and the second wall 22 is arranged opposite to or adjacent to the first wall 21. The second wall 22 is thermally connected to the refrigeration liner 123 of the refrigeration zone 12 and exchanges heat to transfer cold energy to the storage zone 121 through the refrigeration liner 123. The refrigeration system 30 includes a freezing evaporator 31 and a refrigeration evaporator 32. The freezing evaporator 31 is used to refrigerate the freezing zone, and the refrigeration evaporator 32 is used to refrigerate the cold storage box 20. The controller is used to selectively control the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration evaporator 32 and the freezing evaporator 31 according to the temperature of the freezing zone 11 and the refrigeration zone 12.

[0032] Specifically, the cabinet 10 is made of low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and other polymer materials through a one-piece rotational molding process, and the interior of the cabinet 10 is filled with a polyurethane foam insulation layer to ensure thermal insulation performance. The interior of the cabinet 10 is divided into an independent freezing zone 11 and a refrigeration zone 12, and the refrigeration zone 12 is further divided into a storage zone 121 and a cold storage zone 122 through spatial layout. A cold storage box 20 is installed in the cold storage zone 122 to store water or other phase change materials as cold storage media, so as to utilize the large heat capacity characteristics of the medium during the phase change process to maintain the temperature of the compartment. The cold storage box 20 has a first wall 21 and a second wall 22. The first wall 21 refers to the wall of the cold storage box 20 facing the storage zone 121, and the second wall 22 refers to other walls that are opposite to or adjacent to the first wall 21. The refrigerated compartment 12 is equipped with a refrigerated inner liner 123, which can be made of materials with excellent thermal conductivity, such as aluminum alloy plates, and can be anodized to enhance corrosion resistance. The second wall 22 of the cold storage box 20 is thermally connected to the refrigerated inner liner 123, meaning that the cold energy of the cold storage box 20 can be directly transferred to the metal inner liner through physical contact. After the refrigeration system 30 is started, the controller selectively adjusts the refrigerant flow direction based on the temperature feedback from the freezing compartment 11 and the refrigerated compartment 12. When the refrigerant flows through the cold storage evaporator, it directly cools the cold storage medium in the cold storage box 20, causing it to undergo a phase change and store cold energy. Because the cold storage box 20 has a first wall 21 facing the storage compartment 121 and a second wall 22 thermally connected to the refrigerated inner liner 123, the cold energy is preferentially transferred to the highly thermally conductive refrigerated inner liner 123 through the second wall 22. The refrigerated inner liner 123, acting as a heat transfer medium, receives cold energy from the cold storage box 20 and rapidly diffuses the cold energy laterally and vertically using the high thermal conductivity of its metallic material. At this time, the storage area 121 does not need to directly face the low-temperature cold storage source, but maintains a constant low-temperature environment through heat exchange with the large-area refrigerated inner liner 123. Firstly, the vaccine refrigerator of this application can extend the heat exchange interface from the locally reduced surface of the evaporator or pipes to the entire wall surface of the refrigerated inner liner 123. In this case, the cold energy is no longer released from a single heat exchange point, but rather evenly overflows across the entire wall surface, significantly reducing the temperature difference between different locations within the storage area 121 and solving the problems of localized overcooling or insufficient cooling. Secondly, the forced cooling capacity of the vaccine refrigerator must be indirectly conducted to the storage area 121 through the second wall 22 and the inner liner 123, which plays a role in temperature buffering. Even if the medium inside the cold storage box 20 is at the phase transition temperature of 0°C, the storage area 121 will not freeze and become ineffective due to direct and intense radiation, thus ensuring the safety of highly sensitive biological products.Thirdly, by combining a high-energy-density cold storage medium with a low-loss indirect heat exchange path, the heat transfer through the inner liner of the cold storage box 20 during a power outage is a slow and controllable process. Compared to the traditional structure that directly releases cold to the air, this can more effectively lock in the cold energy and release it slowly, allowing the refrigerator to maintain a safe storage temperature range of 2℃-8℃ for a long time after a power outage. Fourthly, the controller can selectively control the refrigerant flow. By accurately sensing the real-time load of the freezer compartment 11 and the refrigerator compartment 12, the system can prioritize cooling the compartments that urgently need it, or automatically shut down and enter a passive cooling mode after the cold storage is saturated, significantly reducing the operating frequency of the compressor 33 and the overall energy consumption. This design expands the heat exchange area from the local pipe surface to the entire inner liner wall, effectively improving the heat exchange area and temperature uniformity inside the refrigerator, and, in conjunction with the cold storage medium, effectively slows down the temperature recovery rate after a power outage.

[0033] In some practical applications, the storage area 121 is located on the left side of the cold storage area 122. The first wall 21 of the cold storage box 20 specifically includes the left wall of the cold storage box 20, which faces the storage area 121 on the left. The second wall 22 of the cold storage box 20 can be a front wall or a rear wall that intersects the first wall 21 perpendicularly, or a right wall that is parallel to the first wall 21. The cold storage box 20 is thermally connected and fitted to the corresponding part of the refrigerator liner 123 through its three second walls 22 (front, rear, or right). Since the cold energy is guided to the second walls 22 and transferred to the refrigerator liner 123, the cold energy can be injected into the refrigerator liner from the front, rear, and right directions. Utilizing the high thermal conductivity of the refrigerator liner 123 made of thermally conductive materials such as aluminum alloy, the cold energy diffuses laterally and longitudinally along the walls of the refrigerator liner, eventually converging and acting on the storage area 121 on the left.

[0034] In some embodiments, the vaccine refrigerator further includes a heat insulation element 13. The heat insulation element 13 is fixedly disposed between the storage area 121 and the cold storage area 122 to prevent heat exchange between the first wall surface 21 and the storage area 121.

[0035] Specifically, the vaccine cold storage box further includes a heat insulation component 13 fixedly disposed between the storage area 121 and the cold storage area 122. The heat insulation component 13 can be a heat insulation pad made of heat insulation material. This heat insulation component 13 is positioned at the physical boundary between the first wall 21 of the cold storage box 20 and the storage area 121, which clearly divides the cold storage area 121 into two functional spaces, ensuring an effective thermal barrier between the storage area 121 for storing vaccines and the cold storage area 122 that provides the cold source. The heat insulation component 13 is used to impede heat exchange between the first wall 21 and the storage area 121. It is understood that since the first wall 21 is the surface of the cold storage box 20 directly facing the storage area 121, without the heat insulation component 13, the cold storage medium inside the cold storage box 20, which is at a phase change point, would directly release a large amount of cold energy to the storage area 121 through radiation or local air convection. By adding the heat insulation component 13, the system actively blocks this direct heat exchange path, preventing the cold energy released from the first wall 21 from directly impacting the vaccine. By shielding the first wall 21 with the heat insulation component 13, the cold energy is forced to be transferred to the refrigerated inner liner 123 only through the second wall 22, and then diffused laterally and longitudinally by the refrigerated inner liner 123 using the properties of its thermally conductive material. Because of the barrier of the heat insulation component 13 between the storage area 121 and the cold storage box 20, even when the cold storage box 20 is energy saturated and the temperature is extremely low, the center temperature of the storage area 121 can be maintained within a safe range, effectively preventing the vaccine from becoming ineffective due to localized overcooling. At the same time, the combination of the heat insulation component 13 and the refrigerated inner liner forms a two-way buffer, which not only slows down the release rate of cold energy but also ensures that the cold energy enters the storage area 121 in a controlled and uniform manner, significantly enhancing the system's cold preservation reliability under extreme environments or power outage conditions.

[0036] In some embodiments, the cold storage box 20 includes a plurality of second walls 22, and the plurality of second walls 22 together with the first wall 21 enclose and define the internal space of the cold storage box.

[0037] Specifically, the overall wall structure of the cold storage box 20 includes a first wall surface 21 and multiple second wall surfaces 22. The multiple second wall surfaces 22 are connected to the first wall surface 21 through edges, jointly enclosing and defining the internal space of the cold storage box 20. Specifically, the cross-section of the cold storage box 20 can be rectangular, polygonal, circular, or other shapes, and the sidewalls of the cold storage box 20 are divided into a first wall surface 21 facing the storage area 121 and other sidewalls (i.e., second wall surfaces 22) adjacent to or opposite to the first wall surface 21. This fitted structure ensures that the cold energy generated by the cold storage medium during the phase change process can be efficiently and uniformly diffused to the metal refrigerated liner through multiple contact surfaces other than the first wall surface 21, thereby significantly expanding the heat exchange area.

[0038] In some practical applications, the storage area 121 is located to the left of the cold storage area 122. The first wall 21 of the cold storage box 20 specifically includes the left wall of the cold storage box 20, which directly faces the left storage area 121. The second wall 22 includes a front wall and a rear wall perpendicular to the first wall 21, and a right wall parallel to the first wall 21. The cold storage box 20, through its front wall, rear wall, and right wall, simultaneously forms a thermally conductive connection and fits snugly with the corresponding parts of the refrigerated inner liner 123. This three-sided surrounding fit design maximizes the effective heat exchange contact area between the cold storage box 20 and the refrigerated inner liner 123. Compared to single-wall contact, multi-sided fit ensures that the cold energy released by the medium inside the cold storage box 20 is simultaneously injected into the metal refrigerated inner liner from three dimensions. Because the first wall 21 on the left faces the storage area 121 and is equipped with heat insulation, the cold energy is guided to the second walls 22 in the other three directions and transferred to the refrigerated inner liner 123. After the cold energy is transferred to the refrigerated inner liner from the front, back, and right directions, it diffuses laterally and longitudinally along the inner liner wall using the high thermal conductivity of the refrigerated inner liner 123 made of thermally conductive materials such as aluminum alloy, and finally converges and acts on the storage area 121 on the left. This arrangement, with the front, back, and right sides in close contact, significantly increases the contact area between the cold storage source and the heat transfer medium, improving the cold storage efficiency of the system in the active cooling stage and the stability of cold release in the passive cold preservation stage. At the same time, this three-sided cooling mode further reduces the temperature difference in various parts of the refrigerated inner liner 123. The cold energy enters the storage area 121 in a more enveloping and stable manner, solving the problem of large local temperature differences inside the cabinet caused by the excessive concentration of the cold source.

[0039] In some embodiments, the vaccine refrigerator further includes a temperature detection component. The temperature detection component is used to acquire the temperature T1 of the storage zone 121, the temperature T2 of the freezing zone 11, and the temperature T3 of the cold storage box 20; selectively controlling the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration evaporator 32 and the freezing evaporator 31 based on the temperatures of the freezing zone 11 and the refrigeration zone 12 includes: selectively controlling the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration evaporator 32 and the freezing evaporator 31 based on the temperatures T1 of the storage zone 121, the temperature T2 of the freezing zone 11, and the temperature T3 of the cold storage box 20.

[0040] Specifically, sensor T1 is located at the center of storage area 121 in the refrigeration zone 12 to acquire the temperature T1 of storage area 121 and provide real-time feedback on the actual temperature of the environment where the vaccine is located. Sensor T2 is located at the center of freezing zone 11 to acquire the temperature T2 of freezing zone 11 and monitor the refrigeration status of the freezing space. Sensor T3 is located at the bottom of cold storage box 20 to acquire the temperature T3 of cold storage box 20, mainly used to monitor the phase change state and energy reserve of the cold storage medium. The controller of the vaccine refrigerator is electrically connected to the temperature detection components and receives real-time temperature signals from T1, T2, and T3. The controller is used to selectively control the flow rate and timing of refrigerant through the refrigeration evaporator 32 and the freezing evaporator 31 according to the heat load requirements of freezing zone 11 and refrigeration zone 12. This selective control not only covers the switching of the active refrigeration loop but also includes the determination of the overall energy cycle status. In this way, the controller can identify whether the heat intrusion into the storage area 121 is caused by opening and closing the door, whether the freezing area 11 has not reached the set low temperature, or whether the cold storage energy of the cold storage box 20 has been exhausted, through the sensor array. At the same time, based on the numerical relationship between T1, T2, and T3, the controller changes the distribution of refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit and the freezing circuit by driving the valves (such as solenoid valves) in the refrigeration system 30. This means that the system can direct the limited output power of the compressor 33 to the area that needs cooling the most.

[0041] In some embodiments, when the temperature T1 of the storage zone 121 and the temperature T2 of the freezing zone 11 are both higher than the first temperature threshold θ1, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow through the refrigeration evaporator 32 and the freezing evaporator 31 simultaneously to achieve rapid cooling of the cold storage box 20 and the storage zone 121.

[0042] Specifically, in scenarios involving the initial power-on of the vaccine refrigerator, extreme increases in ambient temperature, or prolonged opening of the door leading to significant heat intrusion, the temperatures T1 in the storage zone 121 and T2 in the freezing zone 11 will both rise significantly. When the temperature detection component detects that both the storage zone 121 temperature T1 and the freezing zone 11 temperature T2 are simultaneously higher than the first temperature threshold θ1 (where θ1 is a preset start-up cooling threshold), the controller determines that the entire unit is in a high heat load state. At this time, the controller controls the refrigerant flow, causing the refrigerant to flow simultaneously through the refrigeration evaporator 32 and the freezing evaporator 31. In practical applications, the system can ensure that the refrigeration system 30 can output maximum cooling capacity by fully opening the valves controlling the refrigeration and freezing circuits (such as solenoid valves). The high-pressure refrigerant generated by the compressor 33 is cooled in the condenser 34 and then simultaneously distributed to the two compartments. The freezing evaporator 31 performs a cooling operation on the freezing zone 11; at the same time, the refrigeration evaporator 32 cools the cold storage tank 20 and its internal cold storage medium. The evaporator 31 directly cools the refrigeration liner and ice storage block through physical contact, rapidly absorbing heat from the freezing zone 11. The refrigeration evaporator 32 rapidly lowers the temperature of the medium inside the cold storage tank 20, initiating energy storage; simultaneously, the cold energy is conducted to the refrigeration liner 123 through the second wall 22 of the cold storage tank 20. Due to the extremely high thermal conductivity of the refrigeration liner 123, it rapidly cools down and acts as a cold source panel to conduct cold energy to the storage zone 121, achieving rapid rewarming of the storage zone 121 through natural air convection.

[0043] In practical applications, the first temperature threshold θ1 can be 8℃. When the temperature T1 of storage zone 121 and the temperature T2 of freezing zone 11 are both higher than 8℃, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow through the refrigeration evaporator 32 and the freezing evaporator 31 at the same time to achieve rapid cooling of the cold storage box 20 and storage zone 121.

[0044] In some embodiments, when the temperature T1 of the storage area 121 is lower than or equal to the first temperature threshold θ1 and higher than or equal to the second temperature threshold θ2, and the temperature T2 of the freezing area 11 is lower than or equal to the third temperature threshold θ3: if the temperature T3 of the cold storage box 20 is higher than the fourth temperature threshold θ4, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow only through the refrigeration evaporator 32 to store cold in the cold storage box 20; if the temperature T3 of the cold storage box 20 is lower than or equal to the fourth temperature threshold θ4, the controller controls the refrigeration system 30 to stop refrigeration, and the temperature of the storage area 121 is maintained by the cold storage box 20 through natural convection heat exchange via the refrigeration liner; wherein, the first temperature threshold θ1 is higher than the second temperature threshold θ2, and the fourth preset temperature threshold θ4 is the phase change temperature of the cold storage medium.

[0045] Specifically, the temperature T1 in storage zone 121 is within the safe range, i.e., below or equal to the first temperature threshold θ1 and above or equal to the second temperature threshold θ2. The temperature T2 in freezing zone 11 has reached the standard, i.e., below or equal to the third temperature threshold θ3. The fourth temperature threshold θ4 is the phase change temperature of the cold storage medium. For example, if the cold storage medium is water, then the fourth temperature threshold θ4 is 0℃. The fourth temperature threshold θ4 is used to determine the energy saturation state of the cold storage box 20. When the system detects that both storage zone 121 and freezing zone 11 are at safe temperatures, but the temperature T3 of the cold storage box 20 is higher than the phase change temperature θ4, it means that the cold storage medium has not completely completed the phase change (e.g., not completely frozen), and the system energy reserve is insufficient. At this time, the controller controls the switching of the refrigeration circuit, so that the refrigerant only flows through the refrigeration evaporator 32, stopping the refrigeration of freezing zone 11. With this setting, by identifying the cold storage saturation state and shutting down the active refrigeration in time, the ineffective operation and downtime rate of compressor 33 are effectively reduced, which is more energy-efficient than the traditional independent operation system of refrigeration / freezing.

[0046] In some embodiments, when the temperature T1 of the storage zone 121 is lower than or equal to a first temperature threshold θ1 and higher than or equal to a second temperature threshold θ2, and the temperature T2 of the freezing zone 11 is higher than a third temperature threshold θ3: if the temperature T3 of the cold storage box 20 is higher than a fourth temperature threshold θ4, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow through both the refrigeration evaporator 32 and the freezing evaporator 31 simultaneously to achieve rapid cooling of the cold storage box 20 and the storage zone 121; if the temperature T3 of the cold storage box 20 is lower than or equal to the fourth temperature threshold θ4, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow only through the freezing evaporator 31 to cool the freezing zone 11.

[0047] Specifically, the temperature T1 of storage zone 121 is within a safe threshold, i.e., lower than or equal to the first temperature threshold θ1 and higher than or equal to the second temperature threshold θ2. The temperature T2 of freezing zone 11 is higher than the third temperature threshold θ3, indicating that there is a high cooling demand in freezing zone 11. At this time, if the temperature T3 of cold storage tank 20 is higher than the fourth temperature threshold θ4, i.e., the cold storage reserve is not yet saturated, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow through both the refrigeration evaporator 32 and the freezing evaporator 31 simultaneously. While meeting the cooling demand of freezing zone 11, the controller continues to store cold for cold storage tank 20 using the output power of refrigeration system 30. If the temperature T3 of cold storage tank 20 is lower than or equal to the fourth temperature threshold θ4, i.e., the cold storage medium has completely frozen or reached the predetermined phase change depth and the energy reserve is sufficient, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow only through freezing evaporator 31 to cool freezing zone 11, and stops supplying cold to refrigeration evaporator 32. Since the cold storage box 20 has sufficient energy reserves, it can maintain the temperature stability of the storage area 121 through passive cold release by thermally connecting its second wall 22 to the inner refrigeration liner 123. Therefore, the system concentrates all its cooling capacity on the rapid rewarming of the freezing area 11, significantly shortening the cooling time of the freezing area 11. This configuration, by judging the cold storage saturation, avoids wasting refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration circuit when the cold storage is already full, thus improving the overall cooling efficiency of the unit.

[0048] In some embodiments, when the temperature T1 of the storage zone 121 is higher than or equal to a first temperature threshold θ1 and the temperature T2 of the freezing zone 11 is lower than or equal to a third temperature threshold θ3, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow only through the refrigeration evaporator 32 to store cold in the cold storage box 20.

[0049] Specifically, if the temperature T1 in storage zone 121 is higher than or equal to the first temperature threshold θ1, it indicates that the refrigerated space has deviated from the safe storage range and there is heat load intrusion. If the temperature T2 in freezing zone 11 is lower than or equal to the third temperature threshold θ3, it indicates that the freezing space temperature meets the standard and no additional active refrigeration intervention is required. At this time, the controller controls the valves to operate, so that the refrigerant flows only through the refrigerated evaporator 32, while completely cutting off the refrigerant path to the freezing evaporator 31, so that through exclusive refrigeration, all the cooling capacity generated by the compressor 33 is applied to the refrigerated evaporator 32 placed in the cold storage box 20.

[0050] In some embodiments, the vaccine refrigerator further includes a heating device 14. The heating device 14 is electrically connected to a controller; wherein the controller is configured to selectively control the heating device 14 to heat the refrigerator compartment 12 according to the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 12.

[0051] Specifically, the heating device 14 can be a heating wire arranged at the bottom of the storage area 121, and the heating device 14 is electrically connected to the controller. Installing the heating device 14 on the lower side (bottom) of the storage area 121 utilizes the natural convection characteristics of rising hot air to ensure that heat can evenly cover the entire storage space from bottom to top, thereby offsetting excessive cooling from the inner wall. This configuration, for vaccines (such as some vaccines that are highly susceptible to freezing and loss of efficacy), addresses the stringent lower temperature requirements of vaccines through an active thermal compensation mechanism, solving the problem of excessively low temperatures in the storage area 121 that may occur during power outages or in cold climates. Simultaneously, through the synergy of the refrigeration system 30 and the heating device 14, the vaccine refrigerator can operate stably not only in hot regions but also in extremely cold regions where the ambient temperature is lower than the vaccine storage temperature.

[0052] In some embodiments, when the temperature T1 in the storage area 121 is lower than the second temperature threshold θ2, the controller controls the heating device 14 to heat the refrigeration area 12.

[0053] Specifically, when the temperature T1 of storage area 121 is detected to be lower than the second temperature threshold θ2, it indicates that the passive heat exchange structure alone is insufficient to maintain the safe temperature range of storage area 121, and storage area 121 faces the risk of overcooling. At this time, the controller sends a control signal to control the heating device 14 to perform a heating action on the refrigeration area 12. The heat generated by the heating device 14 acts directly on storage area 121 to counteract the excessive cold air continuously conducted into storage area 121 by the cold storage box 20 through the second wall 22 and the refrigeration liner 123, or to compensate for the heat loss caused by the extremely low ambient temperature.

[0054] The foregoing description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may include structural and other changes. The embodiments represent only possible variations. Individual components and functions are optional unless explicitly required, and the order of operation may vary. Parts and features of some embodiments may be included or substituted for parts and features of other embodiments. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes may be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vaccine refrigerator, characterized in that, include: The cabinet (10) is provided with a freezing area (11) and a refrigeration area (12), and the refrigeration area (12) is provided with a storage area (121) and a cold storage area (122); A cold storage box (20) is installed in the cold storage area (122). The cold storage box (20) is used to store the cold storage medium. The cold storage box (20) has a first wall (21) and a second wall (22). The first wall (21) is arranged facing the storage area (121). The second wall (22) is arranged opposite to or adjacent to the first wall (21). The second wall (22) is thermally connected to the refrigeration liner (123) of the refrigeration area (12) and performs heat exchange to transfer cold energy to the storage area (121) through the refrigeration liner (123). The refrigeration system (30) includes a freezing evaporator (31) and a refrigeration evaporator (32), wherein the freezing evaporator (31) is used to refrigerate the freezing zone and the refrigeration evaporator (32) is used to refrigerate the cold storage box (20); A controller is used to selectively control the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration evaporator (32) and the freezing evaporator (31) based on the temperatures of the freezing zone (11) and the refrigeration zone (12).

2. The vaccine refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A heat insulation element (13) is fixedly disposed between the storage area (121) and the cold storage area (122) to prevent heat exchange between the first wall surface (21) and the storage area (121).

3. The vaccine refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cold storage box (20) includes a plurality of second walls (22), and the plurality of second walls (22) together with the first wall (21) enclose and define the internal space of the cold storage box (20).

4. The vaccine refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Temperature detection components are used to obtain the temperature T1 of the storage area (121), the temperature T2 of the freezing area (11) and the temperature T3 of the cold storage box (20); Based on the temperatures of the freezing zone (11) and the refrigeration zone (12), the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration evaporator (32) and the freezing evaporator (31) is selectively controlled, including: Based on the temperature T1 of the storage zone (121), the temperature T2 of the freezing zone (11), and the temperature T3 of the cold storage box (20), the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration evaporator (32) and the freezing evaporator (31) is selectively controlled.

5. The vaccine refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the temperature T1 of the storage area (121) and the temperature T2 of the freezing area (11) are both higher than the first temperature threshold θ1, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow through the refrigeration evaporator (32) and the freezing evaporator (31) at the same time to achieve rapid cooling of the cold storage box (20) and the storage area (121).

6. The vaccine refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the temperature T1 in the storage area (121) is lower than or equal to the first temperature threshold θ1 and higher than or equal to the second temperature threshold θ2, and the temperature T2 in the freezing area (11) is lower than or equal to the third temperature threshold θ3: If the temperature T3 of the cold storage box (20) is higher than the fourth temperature threshold θ4, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow only through the refrigeration evaporator (32) to store cold in the cold storage box (20); If the temperature T3 of the cold storage box (20) is lower than or equal to the fourth temperature threshold θ4, the controller controls the refrigeration system (30) to stop refrigeration, and the cold storage box (20) maintains the temperature stability of the storage area (121) by natural convection heat exchange through the cold storage liner; Among them, the first temperature threshold θ1 is higher than the second temperature threshold θ2, and the fourth preset temperature threshold θ4 is the phase change temperature of the cold storage medium.

7. The vaccine refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the temperature T1 in the storage area (121) is lower than or equal to the first temperature threshold θ1 and higher than or equal to the second temperature threshold θ2, and the temperature T2 in the freezing area (11) is higher than the third temperature threshold θ3: If the temperature T3 of the cold storage box (20) is higher than the fourth temperature threshold θ4, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow through the refrigeration evaporator (32) and the freezing evaporator (31) at the same time to achieve rapid cooling of the cold storage box (20) and the storage area (121); If the temperature T3 of the cold storage box (20) is lower than or equal to the fourth temperature threshold θ4, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow only through the refrigeration evaporator (31) to cool the freezing zone (11).

8. The vaccine refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the temperature T1 in the storage zone (121) is higher than or equal to the first temperature threshold θ1, and the temperature T2 in the freezing zone (11) is lower than or equal to the third temperature threshold θ3, the controller controls the refrigerant to flow only through the refrigeration evaporator (32) to store cold in the cold storage box (20).

9. The vaccine refrigerator according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, Also includes: Heating device (14), electrically connected to controller; The controller is used to selectively control the heating device (14) to heat the cold storage area (12) according to the temperature of the cold storage area (12).

10. The vaccine refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that, When the temperature T1 in the storage area (121) is lower than the second temperature threshold θ2, the controller controls the heating device (14) to heat the cold storage area (12).

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