Return air duct structure of refrigerator and refrigerator with return air duct structure
By employing a multi-level labyrinthine structure with a convex-concave fit and snap-fit connection between the upper and lower covers of the refrigerator's return air duct, the problem of foam material seepage into the return air duct of the frost-free refrigerator is solved, achieving the effects of reducing costs, improving efficiency, and enhancing performance.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520509164.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-03-21
AI Technical Summary
In existing air-cooled refrigerators, the return air duct is prone to leakage of foaming material during the foaming process, which leads to performance degradation and increased energy consumption. In addition, the use of sealing materials increases cost and complexity.
The system employs a convex-concave sealing structure between the upper and lower covers of the return air duct, combined with snap-fit positioning connections, to form a multi-level labyrinth seal. This replaces traditional sealing materials, simplifies installation steps, and improves sealing performance.
It reduced material and labor costs, improved production efficiency, ensured the stability and energy efficiency of refrigerator performance, prevented foam material from seeping into the return air duct, simplified the production process, and improved sealing reliability.
Smart Images
Figure CN223882621U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of refrigerator accessories, and particularly relates to a return air duct structure of a refrigerator and the refrigerator. BACKGROUND
[0002] The common air-cooled refrigerator on the market is mainly composed of three parts, including a refrigeration return air inlet, a return air passage and a freezing return air inlet. Usually, the return air pipe is installed in the foaming layer, so that the return air pipe needs to be sealed during the production of the refrigerator. The sealing material is installed in the gap between the three parts to form a complete sealing effect, preventing the foaming material from appearing in the return air pipe during the foaming process of the refrigerator, which leads to the decline of the performance of the refrigerator and the increase of energy consumption. In this process, not only the labor cost and material cost are increased, but also the production efficiency is reduced. Therefore, a simple, cheap and quickly installed return air pipe structure design is designed SUMMARY
[0003] The utility model provides a return air duct structure of a refrigerator and the refrigerator, the return air pipe is composed of two parts, is return air pipe upper cover and return air pipe lower cover respectively, and the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover are sealed and connected through the concave-convex cooperation sealing part between the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover, do not need extra sealing material, reduce the material cost, simplify the installation step simultaneously, improve production efficiency.
[0004] A return air duct structure of a refrigerator designed for this purpose, comprising a return air pipe upper cover and a return air pipe lower cover, the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover are connected by buckling, and a concave-convex cooperation sealing part is arranged between the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover, and the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover are sealed and cooperated through the concave-convex cooperation sealing part.
[0005] The concave-convex cooperation sealing part between the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover is provided with more than two and forms a multi-stage concave-convex cooperation labyrinth sealing structure.
[0006] The concave-convex cooperation sealing part comprises a first sealing groove and a first sealing rib, and the first sealing groove and the first sealing rib are concave-convex cooperated to form a first sealing connection structure between the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover.
[0007] The concave-convex cooperation sealing part further comprises a second sealing groove and a second sealing rib, and the second sealing groove and the second sealing rib are concave-convex cooperated to form a second sealing connection structure between the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover.
[0008] The first sealing connection structure and the second sealing connection structure between the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover form a multi-stage concave-convex cooperation labyrinth sealing structure.
[0009] The buckle positioning connecting part is arranged between the upper return air pipe cover and the lower return air pipe cover.
[0010] The buckle positioning connecting part comprises a buckle and a slot, and the buckle and the slot are arranged on the buckling edge between the upper return air pipe cover and the lower return air pipe cover.
[0011] The upper return air pipe cover and the lower return air pipe cover are buckled and fixed, and an up-down through return air passage is formed between the upper return air pipe cover and the lower return air pipe cover.
[0012] The lower return air pipe cover is provided with a first air guide surface corresponding to the first air vent, and the upper return air pipe cover and the lower return air pipe cover are both provided with a second air guide surface corresponding to the second air vent.
[0013] A refrigerator comprises a cabinet and a foaming layer arranged on the cabinet, and the foaming layer of the cabinet is provided with the return air passage structure of the refrigerator.
[0014] The cabinet is provided with a refrigeration inner container and a freezing inner container, the upper return air pipe cover and the lower return air pipe cover are buckled and fixed to form an up-down through return air passage, one end of the return air passage is communicated with the refrigeration inner container, and the other end of the return air passage is communicated with the freezing inner container.
[0015] The beneficial technical effects of the utility model are as follows:
[0016] The return air pipe is composed of two parts, namely the upper return air pipe cover and the lower return air pipe cover, the upper return air pipe cover and the lower return air pipe cover are sealed and connected through the concave-convex matching sealing part, no additional sealing material is needed, the material cost is reduced, the installation steps are simplified, and the production efficiency is improved.
[0017] The concave-convex matching sealing part is arranged between the upper return air pipe cover and the lower return air pipe cover, and the two or more concave-convex matching sealing parts form a multi-stage concave-convex matching labyrinth sealing structure, and the labyrinth sealing structure is used to replace the sealing material to reduce the material cost.
[0018] Since the sealing material on the return air pipe is reduced, compared with the traditional return air pipe structure in the number of parts, one part is reduced in the present scheme, the mold opening cost is reduced by one to two, one to two parts can be prepared in the production preparation process, and the labor cost is reduced.
[0019] The traditional return air pipe structure needs to be assembled and sealed to reach the required part state, and the buckle positioning connecting part is arranged between the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover, so that the buckle between the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover is buckled, and the required part state is reached, and therefore the production efficiency can be greatly improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0020] Figure 1 It is an assembly exploded structural schematic view between the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover of an embodiment of the utility model.
[0021] Figure 2 It is a connecting structural schematic view between the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover of an embodiment of the utility model.
[0022] Figure 3 It is a connecting cross section structural schematic view between the return air pipe upper cover and the return air pipe lower cover of an embodiment of the utility model.
[0023] Figure 4 It is Figure 3 It is an enlarged view of A in the middle.
[0024] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic view of the return air pipe structure installed in the foaming layer at the back of the refrigerator of an embodiment of the utility model.
[0025] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic view of the return air pipe structure installed between the freezing inner container and the refrigerating inner container of the refrigerator of an embodiment of the utility model.
[0026] Figure 7 It is another aspect structural schematic view of the return air pipe structure installed between the freezing inner container and the refrigerating inner container of the refrigerator of an embodiment of the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] The technical scheme in the embodiments of the utility model will be described clearly and completely in combination with the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all the embodiments. In order to make the above purposes, characteristics and advantages of the application more obvious and easy to understand, many specific details are described in the following description to facilitate the full understanding of the application. However, the application can be implemented in many other ways different from the description, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the connotation of the application, so the application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0028] Referring to Figures 1-7The air return duct structure of the refrigerator comprises an air return pipe upper cover 1 and an air return pipe lower cover 2, the air return pipe upper cover 1 and the air return pipe lower cover 2 are connected in a snap-fit manner, and a concave-convex matching sealing part 3 is arranged between the air return pipe upper cover 1 and the air return pipe lower cover 2, and the air return pipe upper cover 1 and the air return pipe lower cover 2 are sealed and matched through the concave-convex matching sealing part 3.
[0029] Through the snap-fit connection design between the air return pipe upper cover 1 and the air return pipe lower cover 2, the assembly steps of the traditional air return pipe are simplified, the manual operation time is reduced, and the production efficiency is improved. At the same time, the design of the concave-convex matching sealing part 3 between the air return pipe upper cover 1 and the air return pipe lower cover 2 replaces the use of traditional sealing materials, significantly reduces the material cost, and the sealing effect is more reliable, avoiding the risk of foaming material entering the air return pipe, thereby ensuring the performance stability and energy efficiency of the refrigerator.
[0030] The concave-convex matching sealing part 3 between the air return pipe upper cover 1 and the air return pipe lower cover 2 is provided with more than two and forms a multi-stage concave-convex matching labyrinth sealing structure.
[0031] The multi-stage concave-convex matching labyrinth sealing structure further enhances the sealing performance of the air return pipe, which can effectively prevent the foaming material from penetrating into the inside of the air return pipe during the foaming process of the refrigerator. This design not only improves the reliability of the seal, but also reduces the problem of performance degradation and energy consumption increase of the refrigerator caused by poor sealing, while simplifying the production process and reducing the quality control difficulty in the production process.
[0032] The concave-convex matching sealing part 3 comprises a first sealing groove 3.1 and a first sealing protrusion 3.2, and the first sealing groove 3.1 and the first sealing protrusion 3.2 are in concave-convex matching to form a first sealing connection structure between the air return pipe upper cover 1 and the air return pipe lower cover 2.
[0033] Through the concave-convex matching design of the first sealing groove 3.1 and the first sealing protrusion 3.2, the preliminary sealing between the air return pipe upper cover 1 and the air return pipe lower cover 2 is realized. This structure not only simplifies the sealing process, but also reduces the use cost of sealing materials, while improving the stability and durability of the seal, ensuring that the air return pipe will not cause performance degradation due to sealing failure in the long-term use process.
[0034] In this embodiment, the first sealing groove 3.1 is arranged on the air return pipe upper cover 1, and the first sealing protrusion 3.2 is arranged on the air return pipe lower cover 2.
[0035] The concave-convex matching sealing part 3 further comprises a second sealing groove 3.3 and a second sealing protrusion 3.4, and the second sealing groove 3.3 and the second sealing protrusion 3.4 are in concave-convex matching to form a second sealing connection structure between the air return pipe upper cover 1 and the air return pipe lower cover 2.
[0036] The first sealing connection structure and the second sealing connection structure between the upper return air duct cover 1 and the lower return air duct cover 2 form a multi-stage concave-convex matched labyrinth seal structure.
[0037] By increasing the cooperation of the second sealing groove 3.3 and the second sealing convex rib 3.4, a multi-stage sealing structure is formed, further improving the sealing performance of the return air duct. This labyrinth seal structure can effectively block the penetration of foaming materials, ensure the cleanliness of the inside of the return air duct, and thus maintain the high efficiency of the refrigerator. In addition, the multi-stage sealing design also enhances the overall stability of the structure, reducing the risk of sealing failure caused by vibration or temperature changes.
[0038] In this embodiment, the second sealing groove 3.3 is provided on the lower return air duct cover 2, and the second sealing convex rib 3.4 is provided on the upper return air duct cover 1.
[0039] The upper return air duct cover 1 and the lower return air duct cover 2 are provided with a buckle positioning connection part 4, and the upper return air duct cover 1 and the lower return air duct cover 2 are connected by the buckle positioning connection part 4.
[0040] The design of the buckle positioning connection part 4 makes the installation of the upper return air duct cover 1 and the lower return air duct cover 2 more convenient and fast, without the need for additional tools or complex operation steps, significantly improving production efficiency. At the same time, the buckle connection ensures the stable connection between the upper return air duct cover 1 and the lower return air duct cover 2, avoiding the problem of sealing failure caused by looseness, further improving the reliability and durability of the product.
[0041] The buckle positioning connection part 4 includes a buckle 4.1 and a card slot 4.2, and the buckle 4.1 and the card slot 4.2 are arranged on the buckling edge between the upper return air duct cover 1 and the lower return air duct cover 2. The buckle positioning connection part 4 is provided with a plurality of buckle positioning connection parts 4, and the plurality of buckle positioning connection parts 4 are arranged along the length of the buckling edge between the upper return air duct cover 1 and the lower return air duct cover 2.
[0042] Through the distributed design of the plurality of buckles 4.1 and the card slots 4.2 arranged along the length of the buckling edge between the upper return air duct cover 1 and the lower return air duct cover 2, it ensures that the connection between the upper return air duct cover 1 and the lower return air duct cover 2 is uniformly stressed, avoiding deformation or damage caused by local stress concentration. This design not only enhances the overall stability of the structure, but also simplifies the installation process, reduces the manual operation time, and further improves the production efficiency. At the same time, the cooperation of the buckle 4.1 and the card slot 4.2 ensures the firmness of the connection, preventing looseness caused by vibration or temperature changes.
[0043] In this embodiment, the buckle 4.1 is provided on the upper return air duct cover 1, and the card slot 4.2 is provided on the lower return air duct cover 2.
[0044] In the embodiment, the first sealing groove 3.1, the second sealing convex rib 3.4, the buckle 4.1 and the upper air return pipe cover 1 are formed as a whole by injection molding.
[0045] In the embodiment, the first sealing convex rib 3.2, the second sealing groove 3.3, the clamping groove 4.2 and the lower air return pipe cover 2 are formed as a whole by injection molding.
[0046] The upper air return pipe cover 1 is fixedly buckled with the lower air return pipe cover 2, and an air return passage 10 is formed between the upper air return pipe cover 1 and the lower air return pipe cover 2. A first air vent 5 is arranged between the first ends of the upper air return pipe cover 1 and the lower air return pipe cover 2 and communicates with the air return passage 10. A second air vent 6 is arranged between the second ends of the upper air return pipe cover 1 and the lower air return pipe cover 2 and communicates with the air return passage 10.
[0047] The air return passage 10 is designed to ensure smooth air circulation between the refrigeration chamber and the freezer chamber, optimize the temperature distribution inside the refrigerator, and improve the refrigeration efficiency. The first air vent 5 and the second air vent 6 ensure that the air return passage 10 communicates with the refrigeration chamber and the freezer chamber.
[0048] The lower air return pipe cover 2 is provided with a first air guide surface 7 corresponding to the first air vent 5. The upper air return pipe cover 1 and the lower air return pipe cover 2 are each provided with a second air guide surface 8 corresponding to the second air vent 6.
[0049] The design of the first air guide surface 7 and the second air guide surface 8 optimizes the air flow path, reduces air turbulence and resistance in the air return passage, and further improves the refrigeration efficiency of the refrigerator.
[0050] In the embodiment, each air guide surface is an air guide inclined surface or an air guide arc surface.
[0051] A refrigerator includes a cabinet 9 and a foaming layer arranged on the cabinet 9. The foaming layer of the cabinet 9 is provided with the air return passage structure of the refrigerator.
[0052] Since the air return pipe is installed in the foaming layer of the refrigerator, when the foaming material expands, it is equivalent to thermal expansion in the material, which can be classified as a heat sealing type. Therefore, the upper air return pipe cover 1 and the lower air return pipe cover 2 are sealed by a labyrinth structure, and the upper air return pipe cover 1 and the lower air return pipe cover 2 are positioned and buckled to be connected, thereby achieving complete sealing effect and preventing foaming material from entering the air return pipe during the foaming process of the refrigerator.
[0053] The cabinet 9 is provided with a refrigeration liner 11 and a freezing liner 12. The upper air return pipe cover 1 and the lower air return pipe cover 2 are fixedly buckled and form an air return passage 10 that penetrates from top to bottom. One end of the air return passage 10 communicates with the refrigeration liner 11, and the other end of the air return passage 10 communicates with the freezing liner 12.
[0054] The above merely describes the preferred embodiments of the present application, and is not intended to limit the present application, and any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.
Claims
1. A return air duct structure of a refrigerator, characterized by: It includes a return air duct upper cover (1) and a return air duct lower cover (2), which are interlocked and connected. A concave-convex fitting sealing part (3) is provided between the return air duct upper cover (1) and the return air duct lower cover (2), and a sealing fit is formed between the return air duct upper cover (1) and the return air duct lower cover (2) through the concave-convex fitting sealing part (3).
2. The return air duct structure of a refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The convex-concave sealing part (3) between the upper cover (1) and the lower cover (2) of the return air duct is provided with two or more labyrinth-type sealing structures that form a multi-level convex-concave fit.
3. The return air duct structure of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The concave-convex fitting sealing part (3) includes a first sealing groove (3.1) and a first sealing rib (3.2). The first sealing groove (3.1) and the first sealing rib (3.2) are in concave-convex fit to form a first sealing connection structure between the upper cover (1) of the return air pipe and the lower cover (2) of the return air pipe.
4. The return air duct structure of a refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein: The concave-convex fitting sealing part (3) further includes a second sealing groove (3.3) and a second sealing rib (3.4). The second sealing groove (3.3) and the second sealing rib (3.4) are concave-convex fitting to form a second sealing connection structure between the upper cover (1) of the return air pipe and the lower cover (2) of the return air pipe. The first sealing connection structure and the second sealing connection structure between the upper cover (1) and the lower cover (2) of the return air duct form a multi-level concave-convex labyrinth sealing structure.
5. The return air duct structure of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The upper cover (1) of the return air duct and the lower cover (2) of the return air duct are provided with a snap-fit positioning connection part (4), and the upper cover (1) of the return air duct and the lower cover (2) of the return air duct are fastened together by the snap-fit positioning connection part (4). 6.The return air duct structure of a refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The buckle positioning connection part (4) includes a buckle (4.1) and a slot (4.2). The buckle (4.1) and the slot (4.2) are set on the fastening edge between the upper cover (1) of the return air duct and the lower cover (2) of the return air duct. There are a number of buckle positioning connection parts (4). The number of buckle positioning connection parts (4) are arranged along the length of the fastening edge between the upper cover (1) of the return air duct and the lower cover (2) of the return air duct.
7. The return air duct structure of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The upper cover (1) of the return air duct and the lower cover (2) of the return air duct are fastened together and fixed, and a return air channel (10) is formed between the upper cover (1) and the lower cover (2). A first ventilation opening (5) connecting the return air channel (10) is provided between the first ends of the upper cover (1) and the lower cover (2), and a second ventilation opening (6) connecting the return air channel (10) is provided between the second ends of the upper cover (1) and the lower cover (2). 8.The return air duct structure of a refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The return air duct lower cover (2) is provided with a first air guide surface (7) corresponding to the first ventilation opening (5); the return air duct upper cover (1) and the return air duct lower cover (2) are both provided with a second air guide surface (8) corresponding to the second ventilation opening (6).
9. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet (9) and a foamed layer provided on the cabinet (9), characterized in that: The foam layer of the cabinet (9) is provided with the return air duct structure of the refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1-8.
10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that: The box (9) is equipped with a refrigerated inner liner (11) and a frozen inner liner (12). The upper cover (1) of the return air duct and the lower cover (2) of the return air duct are fastened together to form a return air channel (10) that runs through the upper and lower parts. One end of the return air channel (10) is connected to the refrigerated inner liner (11), and the other end of the return air channel (10) is connected to the frozen inner liner (12).