Air duct system and refrigerator

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of refrigerators, in particular to an air duct system and a refrigerator. The air duct system comprises a fan cover mounting base and a fan cover body, the fan cover mounting base is attached to the evaporator cavity, the fan cover body is connected to the side, away from the evaporator cavity, of the fan cover mounting base in a covering mode, and a main air duct and a defrosting air duct which are isolated from each other are formed between the fan cover body and the fan cover mounting base; the main air duct is provided with an air duct air inlet and an air duct air outlet, the air duct air inlet is communicated with the evaporator chamber, the air duct air outlet is used for supplying air to the refrigerator chamber, and the main air duct is provided with a first fan; the defrosting air duct is provided with a defrosting air inlet and a defrosting air outlet, the defrosting air inlet and the defrosting air outlet are both communicated with the evaporator cavity, the defrosting air duct is provided with a second fan, and the second fan is used for driving air to flow through the defrosting heater and circularly flow between the defrosting air duct and the evaporator cavity. According to the air duct system, the defrosting efficiency of the evaporator body can be improved, and the influence on the chamber temperature is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of refrigerators, and in particular to an air duct system and a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] When a refrigerator is in operation, the refrigerant in the evaporator removes heat from the air inside the refrigerator, thereby lowering the temperature of the refrigerator compartment. The air inside the refrigerator is relatively humid. As the air passes through the evaporator and is cooled, water vapor condenses into frost and accumulates on the evaporator, affecting its heat exchange efficiency. A common defrosting method in the prior art involves installing a defrost heater at the bottom of the evaporator assembly and utilizing the heat generated by the heater to defrost the evaporator. Because heat transfer to the entire evaporator takes time, the defrost time is long and the defrost efficiency is low. Furthermore, the heat generated by the defrost heater causes hot air to enter the air duct. This hot air circulates along the duct and enters the refrigerator compartment, causing the compartment temperature to rise, negatively impacting the temperature. Utility Model Content

[0003] The present application provides an air duct system and a refrigerator, which can improve the defrosting efficiency of the evaporator body, while reducing the hot air flow generated by the defrost heater from entering the refrigerator compartment, thereby reducing the disturbance to the temperature of the refrigerator compartment.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present application provides an air duct system, which is in communication with an evaporator chamber, wherein an evaporator body is disposed in the evaporator chamber, and the air duct system comprises:

[0005] The fan cover mounting base is set to fit the evaporator chamber;

[0006] An air hood body is connected to the side of the air hood mounting base facing away from the evaporator chamber, and a main air duct and a defrost air duct are formed between the air hood body and the air hood mounting base;

[0007] The main air duct is provided with an air duct inlet and an air duct outlet, the air duct inlet is connected to the evaporator chamber, the air duct outlet is used to supply air to the refrigerator compartment, and the main air duct is provided with a first fan;

[0008] The defrost air duct is provided with a defrost air inlet and a defrost air outlet, and the defrost air inlet and the defrost air outlet are both connected to the evaporator chamber. The defrost air duct is provided with a second fan, and the second fan is used to drive air to flow through the defrost heater and circulate between the defrost air duct and the evaporator chamber.

[0009] In some embodiments, the defrost heater is arranged at the bottom of the evaporator body, the first fan is arranged at the air duct inlet, and the second fan is arranged at the defrost air inlet; the defrost air outlet is set lower than the defrost heater, the defrost air inlet corresponds to the top area of the evaporator body, and the air duct inlet is set higher than the evaporator body.

[0010] In some embodiments, the defrost air duct is arranged corresponding to the center of the evaporator body in the width direction, and the main air ducts are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the defrost air duct.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first fan is arranged above the second fan, and the fan cover mounting seat is provided with a shift boss, and the shift boss is protruded toward the evaporator chamber along the direction from the second fan to the first fan.

[0012] In some embodiments, a heat insulation component is provided on the side of the main air duct facing away from the defrost air duct.

[0013] In some embodiments, a heat insulating layer is provided on the side of the air hood mounting base that is in contact with the evaporator chamber.

[0014] In some embodiments, the air duct system includes a refrigeration air duct that supplies air to the refrigeration compartment, and the air duct outlet includes a first air outlet and a second air outlet, the first air outlet is connected to the freezer compartment, the second air outlet is connected to the main air duct and the refrigeration air duct, and the second air outlet is provided with an auxiliary heater.

[0015] In some embodiments, the second air outlet is provided with a refrigeration damper.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present application provides a refrigerator comprising an evaporator chamber, a defrost heater, an evaporator body arranged in the evaporator chamber, and an air duct system as described in any one of the above items.

[0017] In some embodiments, a defrost sensor is provided on the surface of the evaporator body, and the defrost sensor is used to detect the thickness of the frost layer on the surface of the evaporator body.

[0018] The technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present application has the following advantages over the prior art: by forming a mutually isolated main air duct and a defrost air duct between the hood mounting base and the hood body, and connecting the main air duct and the defrost air duct to the evaporator chamber, respectively. In normal cooling mode, the first fan extracts cold air from the evaporator chamber, which flows through the evaporator body and is generated by heat exchange with the evaporator body, and delivers it into the main air duct through the air duct inlet. Air is then supplied to the refrigerator compartment along the main air duct and the air duct outlet to achieve cooling. The second fan remains in a stopped state, so that the provision of the defrost air duct does not substantially affect the cooling air supplied to the refrigerator compartment by the main air duct and the first fan.

[0019] When frost forms on the surface of the evaporator, causing low heat exchange and cooling efficiency, the defrost heater is activated to defrost the evaporator. The second fan then drives air through the defrost inlet and outlet, circulating between the defrost duct and the evaporator chamber. This encourages the hot air generated by the defrost heater to flow through the evaporator, defrosting the evaporator and improving defrost efficiency. The first fan remains stopped, and the hot air used for defrosting circulates primarily between the defrost duct and the evaporator chamber. This reduces the amount of hot air generated by defrosting that is sent into the refrigerator compartment through the main air duct, minimizing its impact on the refrigerator compartment's temperature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0022] One or more embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by pictures in the corresponding drawings. These exemplifications do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are represented as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0023] Figure 1 A longitudinal cross-sectional view of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of the wind duct system;

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Front view of the central air duct system facing the evaporator chamber side;

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 3 AA section view;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the operation of the refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Description of reference numerals:

[0029] 10- air duct system; 11- air hood body;

[0030] 12- hood mounting base; 121- first air outlet; 122- second air outlet; 123- air duct inlet; 124- defrost inlet; 125- defrost outlet; 126- gear boss;

[0031] 13-first fan; 14-second fan; 15-main air duct; 16-thermal insulation assembly; 17-auxiliary heater; 18-defrost air duct; 19-thermal insulation layer;

[0032] 20-freezer compartment;

[0033] 30- evaporator body; 31- clearance gap;

[0034] 40-defrost heater;

[0035] 50-Evaporator chamber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0037] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of the present application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, the components and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present application. In addition, the present application may repeat reference numbers and / or letters in different examples. Such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed.

[0038] For ease of description, spatially relative terms may be used herein to describe the relative position or movement of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figures, such as "inside," "outside," "inside," "outside," "below," "beneath," "above," "above," "front," "back," and the like. Such spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation other than the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures undergoes a positional flip or a change in posture or a change in motion, then these directional indications will also change accordingly. For example, an element described as "below" or "below" another element or feature will subsequently be oriented as "above" or "above" another element or feature. Thus, the example term "below" can include both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented otherwise (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0039] In order to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the evaporator body 30 has low defrosting efficiency and the generated hot air enters the refrigerator compartment, causing the refrigerator compartment temperature to rise, the present application provides an air duct system 10 and a refrigerator, which can improve the defrosting efficiency of the evaporator body 30, while reducing the entry of hot air into the refrigerator compartment and reducing the disturbance to the refrigerator compartment temperature.

[0040] The embodiment of the present application provides an air duct system 10, such as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the air duct system 10 is in communication with the evaporator chamber 50, and the evaporator body 30 is disposed in the evaporator chamber 50. The air duct system 10 specifically includes an air hood mounting base 12 and an air hood body 11. The air hood mounting base 12 is disposed in contact with the evaporator chamber 50, and the air hood body 11 is disposed on a side of the air hood mounting base 12 facing away from the evaporator chamber 50. The air hood body 11 is connected to the air hood mounting base 12, thereby forming a main air duct 15 and a defrost air duct 18 between the air hood mounting base 12 and the air hood body 11, and the main air duct 15 and the defrost air duct 18 are disposed in isolation from each other.

[0041] The main air duct 15 is provided with an air duct inlet 123 and an air duct outlet. The air duct inlet 123 connects the evaporator chamber 50 and the main air duct 15, while the air duct outlet is used to deliver cold air to the corresponding compartment of the refrigerator. The main air duct 15 is provided with a first fan 13, which can be specifically located at the air duct inlet 123. When in operation, the first fan 13 draws cold air from the evaporator chamber 50 and cools it after heat exchange with the evaporator, and delivers it into the main air duct 15. The cold air is then driven along the main air duct 15 toward the air duct outlet, where it is delivered to the corresponding refrigerator compartment for cooling.

[0042] The defrost duct 18 is provided with a defrost air inlet 124 and a defrost air outlet 125. Both the defrost air inlet 124 and the defrost air outlet 125 are connected to the evaporator chamber 50 and the defrost duct 18. The defrost duct 18 is provided with a second fan 14, which can be specifically arranged at the defrost air inlet 124. The second fan 14 can drive air to circulate between the evaporator chamber 50 and the defrost duct 18.

[0043] The defrost heater 40 can be arranged in the evaporator chamber 50 and is usually located at the bottom of the evaporator body 30. When the second fan 14 drives the air to circulate between the evaporator chamber 50 and the defrost air duct 18, the air flows through the defrost heater 40 and exchanges heat with the defrost heater 40 to generate hot air. In the process of the second fan 14 driving the hot air circulation, the hot air is fully flowed through the evaporator body 30 to defrost the evaporator body 30, thereby improving the defrost efficiency.

[0044] Moreover, the setting of the defrost duct 18 and the second fan 14 ensures that the hot air used for defrosting circulates between the evaporator chamber 50 and the defrost duct 18. Since the defrost duct 18 and the main air duct 15 are isolated from each other, the heat of the defrost heater 40 is reduced from entering the main air duct 15 and the refrigerator compartment along with the hot air, thereby reducing the impact on the temperature of the refrigerator compartment.

[0045] It will be appreciated that the air duct system 10 also includes a return air duct, which connects the refrigerator compartment and the evaporator chamber 50. This duct can deliver return air from the refrigerator compartment's return air outlet to the evaporator chamber 50 and the evaporator body 30 for heat exchange and cooling, generating cold air. This cold air can then be delivered back into the refrigerator compartment via the main air duct 15, circulating and cooling the refrigerator compartment. This application does not involve improvements to the return air duct structure, so the return air duct will not be illustrated or described in detail in the accompanying drawings.

[0046] The air duct system 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application forms a main air duct 15 and a defrost air duct 18 that are isolated from each other between the air hood mounting base 12 and the air hood body 11, and connects the main air duct 15 and the defrost air duct 18 to the evaporator chamber 50 respectively.

[0047] In normal cooling mode, the first fan 13 draws cold air from the evaporator chamber 50, passes through the evaporator body 30, and exchanges heat with the evaporator body 30. The air is then delivered to the main air duct 15 through the air duct inlet 123, and then delivered to the refrigerator compartment along the main air duct 15 and the air duct outlet to achieve cooling. The second fan 14 remains in a stopped state, so that the provision of the defrost air duct 18 does not substantially affect the cooling air delivered to the refrigerator compartment by the main air duct 15 and the first fan 13.

[0048] When frost forms on the surface of the evaporator body 30, causing low heat exchange and cooling efficiency, the defrost heater 40 is activated to defrost the evaporator body 30. The second fan 14 then drives air through the defrost inlet 124 and defrost outlet 125, circulating between the defrost duct 18 and the evaporator chamber 50. This encourages the hot air generated by the defrost heater 40 to flow through the evaporator body 30, defrosting the evaporator body 30 and improving defrost efficiency. At this time, the first fan 13 remains in the off state, and the hot air used for defrosting circulates primarily between the defrost duct 18 and the evaporator chamber 50. This reduces the amount of hot air generated by defrosting that enters the refrigerator compartment through the main air duct 15, thereby reducing its impact on the refrigerator compartment temperature.

[0049] Taking into account that the evaporator chamber 50 is farther away from the freezer compartment 20 of the refrigerator than the defrost air duct 18, in order to reduce the impact of the defrost heater 40 on the freezer compartment 20, and at the same time facilitate the heat transfer of the defrost heater 40 to the evaporator body 30, thereby improving the defrosting efficiency of the evaporator body 30, in the embodiment of the present application, the defrost heater 40 is arranged in the evaporator chamber 50 and is located at the bottom of the evaporator body 30, and the installation height of the defrost heater 40 is higher than the height of the air supply port of the return air duct to supply air to the evaporator chamber 50, that is, the installation height of the evaporator body 30 is higher than the height of the air supply port of the return air duct to supply air to the evaporator chamber 50.

[0050] The defrost air inlet 124 and the defrost air outlet 125 are both opened on the wind cover mounting base 12. Correspondingly, the opening height of the defrost air outlet 125 is lower than the installation height of the defrost heater 40. The opening position of the defrost air inlet 124 corresponds to the top area setting of the evaporator body 30, and the air duct air inlet 123 corresponds to the area of the evaporator chamber 50 located above the evaporator body 30.

[0051] Specifically, the axis of the first fan 13 is positioned higher than the evaporator body 30, ensuring that the first fan 13 is positioned entirely above the evaporator body 30. The axis of the first fan 13 is preferably perpendicular to the width of the evaporator body 30. The axis of the second fan 14 corresponds to the upper middle portion of the evaporator body 30 and is perpendicular to the width of the evaporator body 30.

[0052] In this manner, in cooling mode, the first fan 13 is activated, while the second fan 14 remains deactivated. The return air duct delivers air through the air outlet to the bottom area of the evaporator chamber 50. Under the suction action of the first fan 13, the supply air and the evaporator body 30 undergo sufficient heat exchange, producing cold air. The first fan 13 then draws this cold air into the main air duct 15, which then delivers it through the duct outlet into the refrigerator compartment, cooling it. Because the first fan 13 is positioned entirely above the evaporator body 30, the return air duct's supply air flows fully through the evaporator body 30 from bottom to top, achieving efficient heat exchange and cooling, thus ensuring efficient cooling of the refrigerator compartment.

[0053] In defrost mode, the first fan 13 remains stopped, while the second fan 14 starts to circulate air between the defrost duct 18 and the evaporator chamber 50 along the defrost air inlet 124 and the defrost air outlet 125. Because the defrost air outlet 125 is lower than the installation height of the defrost heater 40, the circulating air from the defrost air duct 18 via the defrost air outlet 125 can flow through the defrost heater 40 and exchange heat with the defrost heater 40, thereby quickly transferring heat from the defrost heater 40 to the evaporator body 30 and improving defrost efficiency. The opening of the defrost air inlet 124 corresponding to the top area of the evaporator body 30 ensures that the hot air generated by the heat exchange with the defrost heater 40 can flow fully through the evaporator body 30 from bottom to top, effectively defrosting the evaporator body 30.

[0054] In addition, the installation height of the second fan 14 is lower than the installation height of the first fan 13 and the opening height of the defrost air inlet 124 is lower than the opening height of the air duct inlet 123. This ensures that in the defrost mode, when the hot air is generated by heat exchange with the evaporator body 30 and flows upward along the evaporator chamber 50, it will first flow to the defrost air inlet 124 and be sent into the defrost air duct 18 under the action of the second fan 14, reducing the hot air generated by the defrost heater 40 entering the main air duct 15 and entering the refrigerator compartment through the main air duct 15, thereby reducing the interference with the temperature of the refrigerator compartment.

[0055] Combined with reference Figures 2 to 4 In some embodiments, the defrost air duct 18 is located at the center of the width of the evaporator body 30. Two main air ducts 15 are provided and symmetrically arranged on both sides of the defrost air duct 18. The main air ducts 15 are mainly used to supply air to the freezing compartment 20. The first fan 13 is a high-power centrifugal fan, and the second fan 14 is a low-power axial fan.

[0056] The central arrangement of the defrost duct 18 reduces the space occupied and ensures the air supply flow area of the main air duct 15. On the other hand, it reduces the radiation area of the defrost duct 18 to the freezing compartment 20, and reduces the influence of the circulating air in the defrost duct 18 on the temperature of the freezing compartment 20. At the same time, the defrost duct 18 can also radiate heat to the central area of the evaporator body 30, thereby improving the defrost efficiency in the central position of the evaporator body 30 in the width direction.

[0057] The first fan 13 utilizes a high-power centrifugal fan to evenly distribute air to the main air ducts 15 on both sides. The centrifugal fan also generates high wind pressure, ensuring that cold air can be delivered through the main air ducts 15 into the freezer compartment 20. The central placement of the defrost air duct 18 simplifies the duct structure and helps reduce the resistance to the defrost circulating air between the defrost air duct 18 and the evaporator chamber 50. The second fan 14 utilizes a low-power axial flow fan, meeting the circulating air supply requirements while reducing power consumption. Axial flow fans also generate a high air flow rate, ensuring sufficient heat exchange with the defrost heater 40 and the evaporator body 30, facilitating efficient defrosting.

[0058] refer to Figure 2 The area of the hood mounting base 12 between the first fan 13 and the second fan 14 is provided with a stop boss 126. The stop boss 126 is provided in a direction from the second fan 14 to the first fan 13, gradually protruding toward the evaporator chamber 50. By providing the stop boss 126 between the first fan 13 and the second fan 14, in the defrost mode, hot air generated by heat exchange with the defrost heater 40 flows upward along the evaporator chamber 50. This is sucked in by the second fan 14 and stopped by the stop boss 126, and then enters the defrost air duct 18. This reduces the amount of hot air that continues to flow upward into the main air duct 15, thereby minimizing its impact on the temperature of the refrigerator compartment.

[0059] A thermal insulation assembly 16 is provided on the outer sides of the two main air ducts 15, facing away from the defrost air duct 18. This insulation assembly 16 provides insulation to reduce the amount of heat radiated from the evaporator chamber 50, the defrost heater 40, and the portion of the evaporator body 30 adjacent to the defrost heater 40 (which has a higher temperature) to the freezer compartment 20 during the defrost mode, thereby reducing temperature disturbances in the freezer compartment 20. Furthermore, a thermal insulation layer 19 may be provided on the side of the hood mounting base 12 that abuts the evaporator chamber 50. This layer 19 reduces heat transfer from the defrost heater 40 to the defrost air duct 18 and freezer compartment 20 during the defrost mode. The thermal insulation layer 19 may be provided not only on the side of the hood mounting base 12 that abuts the evaporator chamber 50, but also on the side of the hood body 11 facing away from the evaporator chamber 50, as long as it can isolate or reduce heat transfer from the defrost heater 40 to the freezer compartment.

[0060] The air duct system 10 further includes a refrigeration air duct (not shown in the drawings) connected to the main air duct 15. The air duct outlet includes a first air outlet 121 and a second air outlet 122. The first air outlet 121 is connected to the freezing compartment 20, and the second air outlet 122 is connected to the main air duct 15 and the refrigeration air duct. Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the second air outlet 122 is located above the outer periphery of the first fan 13, allowing the centrifugal fan, or the first fan 13, to supply air to the two main air ducts 15 and to the refrigeration air duct through the second air outlet 122. An auxiliary heater 17 is provided at the second air outlet 122. The auxiliary heater 17 is used to heat and defrost the second air outlet 122 in defrost mode, preventing frost on the second air outlet 122, which would reduce the flow area and affect the air supply from the first fan 13 to the refrigeration air duct and increase the power consumption of the first fan 13.

[0061] The auxiliary heater 17 can be an aluminum foil heater, with the heating element consisting of PVC or silicone insulated heating wire. The heating wire is placed between two sheets of aluminum foil or heat-fused to a single layer of aluminum foil. The aluminum foil heater has a self-adhesive backing for quick and easy installation. The aluminum foil heater can be customized to meet your needs, allowing for easy control of shape and size, allowing installation at the second air outlet 122 to heat and defrost the second air outlet 122.

[0062] In some embodiments, a refrigeration damper is provided at the second air outlet 122 to control the flow of air between the refrigeration duct and the main air duct 15. In normal cooling mode, the refrigeration damper is open, and the second air outlet 122 connects the main air duct 15 and the refrigeration duct, allowing the first fan 13 to extract cold air from the evaporator chamber 50 and deliver it to the freezer compartment 20 and the refrigeration compartment through the main air duct 15 and the refrigeration duct, respectively.

[0063] In defrost mode, the refrigeration damper switches to the closed state, isolating the refrigeration duct from the main duct 15 and the evaporator chamber 50. The defrost heater 40 at the bottom of the evaporator body 30 is powered on for heating, and the second fan 14 starts to drive air to circulate along the evaporator chamber 50 and the defrost duct 18. The air flows through the defrost heater 40 and the evaporator body 30, and the heat generated by the defrost heater 40 begins to be transferred to the evaporator body 30. Even if a small amount of hot air enters the main duct 15 through the air duct inlet 123 and the gap between the blades of the first fan 13, due to the isolation effect of the refrigeration damper, the hot air can only flow upward to the second air outlet 122 to defrost the second air outlet 122, and will not enter the refrigeration duct and be sent to the refrigerated compartment through the refrigeration duct, thereby avoiding causing the temperature of the refrigerated compartment to rise. At this time, the auxiliary heater 17 is also powered on to generate heat to defrost the second air outlet 122. The heat generated by the auxiliary heater 17 is also isolated by the refrigeration damper to prevent the heat from being sent into the refrigeration compartment through the refrigeration air duct, causing the temperature of the refrigeration compartment to rise and increase the refrigeration power consumption.

[0064] The present application also provides a refrigerator, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the refrigerator comprises an evaporator chamber 50, a defrost heater 40, an evaporator body 30 disposed within the evaporator chamber 50, and the air duct system 10 provided in the above-described embodiment. The refrigerator is provided with a freezer compartment 20 and a refrigerator compartment. The main air duct 15 of the air duct system 10, also known as the freezing air duct, connects to the freezer compartment 20 via a first air outlet 121, and connects to the refrigerator compartment via the main air duct 15, a second air outlet 122, and a refrigerator air duct. A clearance notch 31 can be provided at the center of the top of the evaporator body 30 to facilitate the installation of the second fan 14. The configuration of other components of the refrigerator, such as the compressor and condenser, can refer to existing technologies.

[0065] The defrost heater 40 can be disposed at the bottom of the evaporator body 30 so that, in the defrost mode, the heat generated by the defrost heater 40 can be efficiently transferred to the evaporator body 30 to achieve defrosting of the evaporator body 30. The defrost heater 40 can also be disposed at other suitable locations as needed, as long as it can ensure that the circulating air driven by the second fan 14 to circulate between the defrost air duct 18 and the evaporator cavity can flow through the defrost heater 40 and transfer the heat from the defrost heater 40 to the evaporator body 30.

[0066] Refrigerator operation process reference Figure 5 When the refrigerator is refrigerating normally, the refrigerating damper is opened, the first fan 13 is started, and air is supplied to the freezing compartment 20 and the refrigerating compartment through the main air duct 15 and the refrigerating air duct respectively. The freezing compartment 20 and the refrigerating compartment are in normal refrigeration.

[0067] After the refrigerator has been in refrigeration operation for a period of time T = T1 (T1 is the preset refrigeration time of the refrigerator), the defrost heating mode is switched, the first fan 13 is shut down, the second fan 14 is started, the refrigeration damper is closed, and the defrost heater 40 and the auxiliary heater 17 are powered on for heating. The second fan 14 drives the generated circulating air that circulates along the defrost air duct 18 and the evaporator compartment, quickly transferring the heat from the defrost heater 40 to the evaporator body 30, thereby improving the defrost efficiency. The auxiliary heater 17 is used to defrost the second air outlet 122, thereby avoiding affecting the air flow area of the refrigeration air duct. The configuration of the defrost air duct 18, the second fan 14, and the defrost damper effectively reduces the heat generated by the defrost heater 40 from entering the freezer compartment 20 and the refrigeration compartment along with the hot air, thereby reducing the impact on the temperature of the freezer compartment 20 and the refrigeration compartment.

[0068] When the defrost working time t=T2 (T2 is the preset defrost working time of the refrigerator, which can be adjusted according to actual needs), the second fan 14, the defrost heater 40 and the auxiliary heater 17 are turned off, the first fan 13 and the refrigeration damper are turned on, and the refrigerator re-enters the cooling mode.

[0069] In order to ensure that the heat of the hot air generated by the heat exchange with the defrost heater 40 is fully absorbed, the second fan 14 can continue to run for a preset time period T3 after turning off the defrost heater 40, so that the heat of the hot air is fully absorbed by the evaporator body 30 during the circulation along the evaporator chamber 50 and the defrost air duct 18, while preventing the hot air from entering the refrigerator compartment.

[0070] In some embodiments, the refrigerator includes a controller, and a defrost sensor may be provided on the surface of the evaporator body 30. The defrost sensor, the first fan 13, the second fan 14, the refrigeration damper, the defrost heater 40, and the auxiliary heater 17 are all connected to the controller. The defrost sensor is used to detect the frost condition and defrost progress of the evaporator body 30. When the defrost sensor detects that the frost layer thickness on the surface of the evaporator body 30 exceeds a first preset thickness, the controller activates the first fan 13, the second fan 14, the refrigeration damper, the defrost heater 40, and the auxiliary heater 17, and the refrigerator enters defrost mode.

[0071] When the defrost sensor detects that the frost layer on the surface of the evaporator body 30 is below a second preset thickness, indicating that the frost layer on the surface of the evaporator body 30 has substantially melted, the controller controls the first fan 13, the second fan 14, the refrigeration damper, the defrost heater 40, and the auxiliary heater 17 to switch to cooling mode. The first preset thickness is greater than the second preset thickness, and the second preset thickness can be any preset value close to zero. The defrost sensor is commonly used in the art, and its structure and operating principle will not be further described in this application.

[0072] It should be understood that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said" as used herein may also be meant to include plural forms. The terms "comprise", "include", "contain" and "have" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order described or illustrated, unless the order of execution is clearly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0073] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used in the text to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence when used in the text. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teaching of the example embodiments.

[0074] The foregoing is merely a list of specific embodiments of the present application, intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is intended to conform to the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features of the present application.

Claims

1. An air duct system is connected to an evaporator chamber, wherein an evaporator body and a defrost heater are provided in the evaporator chamber, characterized in that: The air duct system comprises: The fan cover mounting base is set to fit the evaporator chamber; An air hood body is connected to the side of the air hood mounting base facing away from the evaporator chamber, and a main air duct and a defrost air duct are formed between the air hood body and the air hood mounting base; The main air duct is provided with an air duct inlet and an air duct outlet, the air duct inlet is connected to the evaporator chamber, the air duct outlet is used to supply air to the refrigerator compartment, and the main air duct is provided with a first fan; The defrost air duct is provided with a defrost air inlet and a defrost air outlet, and the defrost air inlet and the defrost air outlet are both connected to the evaporator chamber. The defrost air duct is provided with a second fan, and the second fan is used to drive air to flow through the defrost heater and circulate between the defrost air duct and the evaporator chamber.

2. The air duct system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The defrost heater is arranged at the bottom of the evaporator body, the first fan is arranged at the air duct inlet, and the second fan is arranged at the defrost air inlet; the defrost air outlet is set lower than the defrost heater, the defrost air inlet is set corresponding to the top area of the evaporator body, and the air duct inlet is set higher than the evaporator body.

3. The air duct system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The defrost air duct is arranged corresponding to the center of the evaporator body in the width direction, and the main air ducts are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the defrost air duct.

4. The air duct system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first fan is arranged above the second fan, and the fan cover mounting seat is provided with a shift boss, which is protruded toward the evaporator chamber along the direction from the second fan to the first fan.

5. The air duct system according to claim 3, characterized in that: A heat insulation component is provided on the side of the main air duct away from the defrost air duct.

6. The air duct system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heat insulation layer is provided on one side of the air cover mounting seat that is in contact with the evaporator chamber.

7. The air duct system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The air duct system includes a refrigeration air duct that supplies air to the refrigeration compartment. The air duct outlet includes a first air outlet and a second air outlet. The first air outlet is connected to the freezer compartment, and the second air outlet is connected to the main air duct and the refrigeration air duct. The second air outlet is provided with an auxiliary heater.

8. The air duct system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second air outlet is provided with a refrigeration air door.

9. A refrigerator, characterized in that: The invention comprises an evaporator chamber, a defrost heater, an evaporator body arranged in the evaporator chamber and the air duct system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that A defrost sensor is provided on the surface of the evaporator body, and the defrost sensor is used to detect the thickness of the frost layer on the surface of the evaporator body.

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