Air duct structure and refrigerator with same

Abstract

The utility model discloses an air duct structure and a refrigerator with the air duct structure. The air duct structure comprises a foaming layer and an air duct, the air supply pipe is arranged in the foaming layer, and an air supply duct is defined in the air supply pipe; and the supporting piece is arranged in the air supply duct and is configured to support the air supply pipe from inside to outside. According to the air duct structure, the air supply pipe is arranged in the foaming layer and does not occupy the space of the storage cavity of the inner container, so that the proportion of the storage volume of the refrigerator in the refrigerator can be increased, the probability that the foaming layer extrudes the air supply pipe to deform or even crush the air supply pipe in the foaming process can be reduced by arranging the supporting piece, and the service life of the air duct is prolonged. Therefore, the yield in the production process is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of household appliances, in particular to an air duct structure and a refrigerator having the same. Background Art

[0002] Currently, there are more and more air-cooled refrigerators in the market. Air-cooled refrigerators achieve cooling by blowing cold air in the air supply duct into the storage cavity. In related technologies, the storage volume of the air-cooled refrigerator accounts for a relatively small proportion in the air-cooled refrigerator. Utility Model Content

[0003] The utility model aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the utility model proposes an air duct structure, which can increase the proportion of the storage volume of the refrigerator in the refrigerator.

[0004] The utility model also provides a refrigerator with the air duct structure.

[0005] According to the air duct structure of the first aspect of the utility model, the air duct structure is used for a refrigerator, and the air duct structure includes: a foaming layer; an air supply pipe, the air supply pipe is arranged in the foaming layer, and an air supply duct is defined in the air supply pipe; a support member, the support member is arranged in the air supply duct and is configured to support the air supply pipe from the inside to the outside.

[0006] According to the air duct structure of the first aspect of the utility model, by arranging the air supply duct in the foaming layer, the air supply duct will not occupy the space of the inner tank storage cavity, thereby increasing the storage volume of the refrigerator in the refrigerator. By arranging the support member, the probability of the foaming layer squeezing, deforming or even crushing the air supply duct during the foaming process can be reduced, thereby improving the yield rate in the production process.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the support member is a support column, and both ends of the support column are respectively connected to the opposite side walls of the air supply duct.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present utility model, the air supply pipe is a flat pipe, and the support member is supported between two opposite side walls of the air supply duct in the thickness direction of the air supply pipe.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the utility model, there are multiple support members, and the multiple support members are arranged at intervals in the air supply duct.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the utility model, the air supply duct includes a first air duct plate and a second air duct plate, and both side edges of the first air duct plate in the width direction are respectively connected to both side edges of the second air duct plate in the width direction, and cooperate to define the air supply duct.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the utility model, the first air duct plate has a plurality of protrusions, wherein the protrusions protrude outward from a portion of the first air duct plate along the thickness direction of the first air duct plate away from the air supply duct, and the protrusions extend along the length direction of the air supply duct, and the plurality of protrusions are arranged in the width direction of the first air duct plate.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the width direction of the first air duct plate, the protrusion extends along an arc line that bulges outward.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ratio of the thickness of the foaming layer to the wall thickness of the air supply pipe is 3-4.

[0014] According to the second aspect of the utility model, the refrigerator comprises: the air duct structure according to the first aspect of the utility model, wherein the air supply duct has an air outlet; an inner tank, wherein a storage cavity is defined within the inner tank, and a cold air outlet is provided on the inner wall of the storage cavity, and the cold air outlet is connected to the air outlet.

[0015] According to the refrigerator of the second aspect of the utility model, by providing the air duct structure according to the first aspect of the utility model, the storage capacity of the refrigerator can be increased.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the utility model, the refrigerator also includes: a seal, which extends in a ring shape along the circumference of the air outlet, one end of the seal is sealed connected to the circumference of the air outlet, and the other end of the seal is sealed connected to the circumference of the cold air outlet.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the utility model, the seal includes a connecting portion and a sealing skirt, the connecting portion is annular and connected to the edge of the air outlet, the inner end of the sealing skirt is connected to the connecting portion, and the outer end of the sealing skirt is sealingly abutted against the edge of the cold air outlet.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the sealing component and the air supply pipe are integrally formed.

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the following description, or will be learned through the practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of another angle of the refrigerator shown in ;

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the air supply duct and seal shown in ;

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional view in the AA direction shown in FIG.

[0024] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 An exploded view of the air supply duct and seal shown in FIG.

[0025] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another angle of the air supply duct and the seal shown in FIG.

[0026] Reference numerals:

[0027] 100. Refrigerator;

[0028] 10. air supply pipe; 11. air supply duct; 12. first air duct plate; 121. convex portion; 13. second air duct plate; 14. air outlet;

[0029] 20. Supporting parts;

[0030] 30. Inner tank; 31. Storage cavity; 32. Cold air outlet;

[0031] 40. sealing member; 41. connecting portion; 42. sealing skirt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0033] Reference below Figure 1-Figure 6 The air duct structure according to the embodiment of the first aspect of the utility model is described.

[0034] The air duct structure according to the first embodiment of the utility model is used in a refrigerator 100, such as Figure 3-Figure 5 As shown, the air duct structure includes: a foaming layer (not shown in the drawings), an air supply pipe 10 and a support member 20.

[0035] Specifically, the air supply pipe 10 is disposed in the foaming layer, an air supply duct 11 is defined in the air supply pipe 10 , and the support member 20 is disposed in the air supply duct 11 and is configured to support the air supply pipe 10 from the inside to the outside.

[0036] It is understandable to those skilled in the art that supporting the air supply duct 10 from the inside to the outside means that when the air supply duct 10 is subjected to external pressure, the support member 20 provides support for the air supply duct 10 inside the air supply duct 10. For example, the support member 20 may be a support ring surrounding the inner wall of the air supply duct 11; the support member 20 may also be a support structure having multiple support arms, and the support arms are in contact with the inner wall of the air supply duct 11; the support member 20 may also be a support column, which is supported between two opposite side walls.

[0037] When the refrigerator 100 is in operation, cold air is sent from the air supply duct 11 in the air supply pipe 10 into the storage cavity 31 in the inner tank 30 , and the cold air cools the storage cavity 31 , thereby realizing the refrigeration function of the refrigerator 100 .

[0038] The air supply pipe 10 is arranged in the foam layer, and the space of the foam layer can be reasonably utilized so that the air supply pipe 10 does not occupy the space in the inner liner 30. In this way, the volume of the storage cavity 31 in the inner liner 30 can be larger, and the refrigerator 100 can store more items. The foam layer reduces the heat exchange between the storage cavity 31 and the external environment. At the same time, when the cold air passes through the air supply duct 11, the foam layer can reduce the heat exchange between the cold air and the external environment, thereby improving the efficiency of the refrigerator 100 and reducing the energy consumption of the refrigerator 100.

[0039] The foam layer wraps the air supply duct 10, and the foam layer can seal the air supply duct 10 on the outside of the air supply duct 10. On the one hand, it can reduce the sealing material required to seal the air supply duct 10 and reduce the production cost. On the other hand, it can improve the sealing reliability of the air supply duct 10 and reduce the probability of air leakage in the air supply duct 10 causing cold air to generate frost in the refrigerator 100.

[0040] During the assembly process, the air supply pipe 10 is wrapped in the foam layer, which can reduce the steps required for fixing the air supply pipe 10, thereby simplifying the assembly process and improving assembly efficiency.

[0041] It is understandable that during the foaming process of the foaming layer, the foaming material will squeeze the air supply pipe 10. In this embodiment, by arranging a support member 20 in the air supply duct 11, the support member 20 can provide support for the air supply pipe 10, thereby improving the anti-extrusion ability of the air supply pipe 10 and reducing the probability of the air supply pipe 10 being deformed or even crushed by the extrusion of the foaming layer. Therefore, the yield rate in the production process can be improved.

[0042] According to the air duct structure of the embodiment of the first aspect of the utility model, by arranging the air supply pipe 10 in the foaming layer, the air supply pipe 10 will not occupy the space of the storage cavity 31 of the inner tank 30, thereby increasing the storage volume of the refrigerator 100 in the refrigerator 100. By arranging the support member 20, the probability of the foaming layer squeezing, deforming or even crushing the air supply pipe 10 during the foaming process can be reduced, thereby improving the yield rate in the production process.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the support member 20 is a support column, and the two ends of the support column are respectively connected to the opposite side walls of the air supply duct 11. The support column can realize the support function of the support member 20 on the air supply pipe 10. At the same time, the structure of the support member 20 is relatively simple, which can reduce the production cost during the production process and reduce the difficulty of product design during the product design process. In addition, the support column has little shielding on the cold air in the air supply duct 11, which can ensure the air supply efficiency of the air supply duct 11.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the air supply pipe 10 is a flat pipe, and the support member 20 is supported between two opposite side walls of the air supply duct 11 in the thickness direction of the air supply pipe 10. By setting the air supply pipe 10 as a flat pipe, the large surface of the air supply pipe 10 is fitted with the inner liner 30 during assembly, so that the size of the refrigerator 100 in the thickness direction of the air supply pipe 10 can be reduced, and the refrigerator 100 can be placed more easily during transportation and when the user uses the refrigerator 100.

[0045] It can be understood that the two opposite surfaces of the air supply pipe 10 in the thickness direction are the large surfaces of the air supply pipe 10, and the large surfaces of the air supply pipe 10 are more easily squeezed and deformed, and the large surfaces of the air supply pipe 10 are subjected to greater pressure from the foaming material during the foaming process. By supporting the support member 20 between the two opposite side walls of the air supply duct 11 in the thickness direction of the air supply pipe 10, the weak area of ​​the air supply pipe 10 can be supported, thereby improving the anti-extrusion ability of the air supply pipe 10. At the same time, the space in the air supply duct 11 can be reasonably utilized to reduce the blocking of the cold air in the air supply duct 11.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, there are multiple support members 20, for example, there may be two, three or ten support members 20, and the multiple support members 20 are arranged at intervals in the air supply duct 11. Thus, each support member 20 can provide support for the air supply pipe 10, and the multiple support members 20 can provide support for the air supply pipe 10 at multiple positions in the air supply duct 11, so that the anti-extrusion ability of the air supply pipe 10 can be further improved, the probability of the foaming layer squeezing and deforming or even crushing the air supply pipe 10 during the foaming process can be reduced, and the yield rate in the production process can be improved.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the air supply duct 10 includes a first air duct plate 12 and a second air duct plate 13, and the two side edges of the first air duct plate 12 in the width direction are respectively connected to the two side edges of the second air duct plate 13 in the width direction, and cooperate to define the air supply duct 11. In the production process, the first air duct plate 12 and the second air duct plate 13 can be produced separately, so that the mold for producing the first air duct plate 12 and the second air duct plate 13 is relatively simple, which can reduce the production difficulty and production cost. In the assembly process, the assembly order of the first air duct plate 12 and the second air duct plate 13 can be adjusted according to the assembly space requirements, so as to meet more assembly needs and reduce the assembly difficulty.

[0048] During product design, parameters such as the size of the first air duct plate 12 and the second air duct plate 13, the shape of the first air duct plate 12 and the second air duct plate 13, or the relative angle between the first air duct plate 12 and the second air duct plate 13 can be adjusted to meet more product design needs.

[0049] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 6 As shown, the first air duct plate 12 has a plurality of protrusions 121. For example, the protrusions 121 may be two, three, or ten. The protrusions 121 protrude outward from a portion of the first air duct plate 12 along the thickness direction of the first air duct plate 12 away from the air supply duct 11. The protrusions 121 extend along the length direction of the air supply duct 11. The plurality of protrusions 121 are arranged in the width direction of the first air duct plate 12.

[0050] By providing a plurality of protrusions 121, on the one hand, the strength of the first air duct plate 12 can be improved. During the foaming process, the probability of the first air duct plate 12 being squeezed, deformed or even crushed by the foaming layer can be further reduced, thereby further improving the yield rate in the production process. On the other hand, the plurality of protrusions 121 can guide the cold air in the air supply duct 11, thereby reducing the probability of the cold air generating eddy currents in the air supply duct 11, thereby making the cold air flow more smoothly in the air supply duct 11 and improving the air supply efficiency.

[0051] During the product design process, parameters such as the shape or size of the protrusion 121 may be adjusted to meet more product design requirements.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in the width direction of the first air duct plate 12, the convex portion 121 extends along an arc line that bulges outward. It can be understood that the arc-shaped bulge has a higher anti-extrusion ability, thereby further improving the anti-extrusion ability of the first air duct plate 12, and the surface area of ​​the arc-shaped bulge is larger, which can increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the air supply duct 11, thereby further improving the air supply efficiency.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present invention, the ratio of the thickness of the foam layer to the wall thickness of the air supply pipe 10 is 3-4. For example, the ratio of the thickness of the foam layer to the wall thickness of the air supply pipe 10 can be 3, 3.2, 3.7, 3.9 or 4, thereby ensuring that the air supply efficiency of the air supply pipe 10 meets the use requirements, the thermal insulation performance of the foam layer can meet the use requirements, and in the process of product design, the ratio of the thickness of the foam layer to the wall thickness of the air supply pipe 10 can be adjusted to meet more product design requirements and reduce the difficulty of product design.

[0054] Reference below Figure 1-Figure 6 A refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention is described.

[0055] According to the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment of the utility model, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes: the air duct structure and the inner liner 30 according to the above-mentioned embodiment of the first aspect of the utility model.

[0056] Specifically, the air supply duct 11 has an air outlet 14 , a storage cavity 31 is defined in the inner liner 30 , a cold air outlet 32 ​​is provided on the inner wall of the storage cavity 31 , and the cold air outlet 32 ​​is communicated with the air outlet 14 .

[0057] When the user uses the refrigerator, items are placed in the storage cavity 31. When the refrigerator 100 is in operation, cold air enters the storage cavity 31 from the air supply duct 11 through the air outlet 14 and the cold air outlet 32 ​​to cool the storage cavity 31, thereby realizing the refrigeration function of the refrigerator 100.

[0058] Among them, the air supply pipe 10 in the air duct structure is arranged in the foam layer, the air supply pipe 10 will not occupy the space in the inner tank 30, the volume of the storage cavity 31 can be made larger, thereby, the storage volume of the refrigerator 100 can be made larger.

[0059] According to the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment of the utility model, the storage capacity of the refrigerator 100 can be increased by providing the air duct structure according to the first embodiment of the utility model.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the refrigerator 100 further includes: a seal 40, which extends in a ring shape along the periphery of the air outlet 14, one end of the seal 40 is sealedly connected to the periphery of the air outlet 14, and the other end of the seal 40 is sealedly connected to the periphery of the cold air outlet 32. By providing the seal 40, when the cold air enters the cold air outlet 32 ​​from the air outlet 14, it can be prevented from flowing out from the gap between the air duct structure and the inner tank 30, thereby ensuring the air supply efficiency.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, there are multiple storage cavities 31, for example, there may be two, three or four storage cavities 31, and there are multiple air supply ducts 10, and the air supply ducts 10 correspond one-to-one to the storage cavities 31. Therefore, during use by the user, different items can be placed in different storage cavities 31 according to use needs, and the temperature in each storage cavity 31 can be adjusted separately, thereby improving the user experience.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 4 As shown, the seal 40 includes a connecting portion 41 and a sealing skirt 42, wherein the connecting portion 41 is annular and connected to the edge of the air outlet 14, the inner end of the sealing skirt 42 is connected to the connecting portion 41, and the outer end of the sealing skirt 42 is in sealing contact with the edge of the cold air outlet 32. Thus, the seal 40 can seal the gap between the air outlet 14 and the cold air outlet 32, wherein the sealing skirt 42 is connected to the outer side of the connecting portion 41, and when the sealing skirt 42 contacts the edge of the cold air outlet 32, the contact area between the seal 40 and the edge of the cold air outlet 32 ​​can be increased, thereby improving the sealing reliability of the sealing skirt 42 at the edge of the cold air outlet 32.

[0063] During product design, parameters such as the size of the connection portion 41 and the sealing skirt 42, the shape of the connection portion 41 and the sealing skirt 42, or the relative angle between the connection portion 41 and the sealing skirt 42 may be adjusted to meet more product design requirements.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 5 As shown, the seal 40 is integrally formed with the air supply pipe 10. Thus, on the one hand, the difficulty of connecting the seal 40 with the air supply pipe 10 can be reduced, and the production efficiency can be improved. On the other hand, the reliability of the seal between the seal 40 and the air supply pipe 10 can be improved. Preferably, the air supply pipe 10 includes a first air duct plate 12 and a second air duct plate 13, and the seal 40 is integrally formed with the second air duct plate 13. Thus, during the production process, the mold structure can be simplified, and the number of molds can be reduced, thereby further reducing the production cost.

[0065] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0066] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present utility model, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0067] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "install", "connect", "connect", "fix" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0068] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the utility model. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0069] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An air duct structure, which is used in a refrigerator, characterized in that: include: Foaming layer; An air supply pipe, the air supply pipe is arranged in the foaming layer, and an air supply duct is defined in the air supply pipe; A support member is disposed in the air supply duct and is configured to support the air supply pipe from the inside to the outside.

2. The air duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support member is a support column, and both ends of the support column are respectively connected to the opposite side walls of the air supply duct.

3. The air duct structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air supply pipe is a flat pipe, and the support member is supported between two opposite side walls of the air supply duct in the thickness direction of the air supply pipe.

4. The air duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are a plurality of support members, and the plurality of support members are arranged at intervals in the air supply duct.

5. The air duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air supply duct includes a first air duct plate and a second air duct plate, and both side edges of the first air duct plate in the width direction are respectively connected to both side edges of the second air duct plate in the width direction, and cooperate to define the air supply duct.

6. The air duct structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first air duct plate has a plurality of protrusions, which protrude outward from a portion of the first air duct plate along the thickness direction of the first air duct plate away from the air supply duct, and extend along the length direction of the air supply duct. The plurality of protrusions are arranged in the width direction of the first air duct plate.

7. The air duct structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: In the width direction of the first air duct plate, the convex portion extends along an arc line convex outward.

8. The air duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ratio of the thickness of the foaming layer to the wall thickness of the air supply pipe is 3-4.

9. A refrigerator, characterized in that: include: The air duct structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the air supply duct has an air outlet; The inner liner defines a storage cavity, and the inner wall of the storage cavity is provided with a cold air outlet, and the cold air outlet is connected to the air outlet.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that: Also includes: A sealing member is provided, wherein the sealing member extends in a ring shape along the periphery of the air outlet, one end of the sealing member is sealedly connected to the periphery of the air outlet, and the other end of the sealing member is sealedly connected to the periphery of the cold air outlet.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, characterized in that: The sealing member comprises a connecting portion and a sealing skirt, wherein the connecting portion is annular and connected to the edge of the air outlet, the inner end of the sealing skirt is connected to the connecting portion, and the outer end of the sealing skirt is in sealing contact with the edge of the cold air outlet.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, characterized in that: The sealing member is integrally formed with the air supply pipe.

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