Volute structure and refrigerator

Abstract

The utility model relates to a volute structure and a refrigerator. The volute structure comprises a volute body; one end of the first air supply channel is connected with the volute body, and an end opening of the other end of the first air supply channel forms a first air supply opening which is used for supplying air to the freezing chamber; one end of the second air supply channel is connected with the volute body, a port of the other end of the second air supply channel forms a second air supply outlet, the second air supply outlet is used for supplying air to the refrigerating chamber, and at least part of the side wall of the second air supply channel is sunken in the direction away from an inner cavity of the second air supply channel to form an inward-concave structure. At least part of the side wall of the second air supply channel is arranged to be of the inwards-concave structure, on one hand, airflow can be guided and guided to flow towards the second air supply opening, the guiding effect is achieved, on the other hand, the pressure difference between the second air supply channel and the downstream side space of the second air supply opening can be reduced, and resistance in the air supply process is reduced; therefore, the air supply efficiency to the refrigerating chamber is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of household appliance technology, and more particularly to a volute structure and a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] Refrigerators are common household refrigeration devices, including the cabinet, door, refrigeration system, and air duct system. The volute, as a key component of the air duct system, delivers air to the freezer and refrigerator compartments to freeze and refrigerate food, thereby extending its shelf life. Utility Model Content

[0003] To overcome the problems existing in related technologies, this disclosure provides a volute structure and a refrigerator.

[0004] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a volute structure is provided, the volute structure comprising:

[0005] volute body;

[0006] The first air supply channel has one end connected to the volute body, and the other end of the first air supply channel forms a first air outlet, which is used to supply air to the freezer compartment.

[0007] The second air supply channel has one end connected to the volute body, and the other end of the second air supply channel forms a second air outlet for supplying air to the refrigerator compartment. At least a portion of the sidewall of the second air supply channel is recessed in a direction away from the inner cavity of the second air supply channel to form a concave structure.

[0008] In this embodiment, by setting at least a portion of the sidewall of the second air supply channel as a concave structure, the airflow can be guided to flow towards the second air outlet, thus playing a guiding role. On the other hand, the pressure difference between the second air supply channel and the downstream space of the second air outlet can be reduced, thereby reducing the resistance during the air supply process and improving the air supply efficiency to the cold storage compartment.

[0009] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first air supply channel and the second air supply channel are arranged adjacent to each other, and the volute structure further includes:

[0010] A flow splitting structure is disposed between the first air supply channel and the second air supply channel. One end of the flow splitting structure is connected to the side wall of the first air supply channel, and the other end of the flow splitting structure is connected to the side wall of the second air supply channel.

[0011] The inner surface of the diversion structure has a first arc-shaped surface that protrudes into the inner cavity of the volute structure.

[0012] In this embodiment, a flow-diverting structure is provided between the first and second air supply channels. This structure guides the airflow delivered by the volute structure, directing a portion to the first air supply channel and the other portion to the second. This prevents energy loss due to significant changes in airflow direction within the volute structure, effectively improving the airflow efficiency of the volute structure to the freezer and refrigerator compartments. Furthermore, the first arc-shaped surface not only guides the two airflow portions after diversion, improving freezing and refrigeration efficiency, but also reduces noise generated when the flow-diverting structure divides the airflow, thus enhancing the user experience.

[0013] In some embodiments of this disclosure, one end of the concave structure is connected to the diversion structure, and the other end of the concave structure extends to the second air outlet.

[0014] In this embodiment, by using the concave structure as the sidewall between the inlet and outlet of the second air supply channel, the airflow direction of the second air outlet can be further optimized, and the pressure difference between the second air supply channel and the external space of the second air outlet can be significantly reduced, thereby further reducing the resistance in the air supply process and improving the air supply efficiency to the refrigerator compartment.

[0015] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the inner surface of the concave structure is a second arc-shaped surface, and the radius of the second arc-shaped surface is greater than the radius of the first arc-shaped surface.

[0016] In this embodiment, the second arc-shaped surface can guide the air from the second air supply channel to be delivered obliquely upwards into the refrigeration air supply channel, thereby improving the air supply efficiency. Moreover, since the radius of the first arc-shaped surface is small, it can not only play a role in diverting the airflow, but also reduce the volume of the diversion structure, thereby reducing the volume of the volute structure.

[0017] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the radius of the first arcuate surface is 3mm to 50mm, and the radius of the second arcuate surface is 60mm to 300mm.

[0018] In this embodiment, by setting the radius of the first arc surface and the radius of the second arc surface in the aforementioned region, the air supply efficiency and diversion effect of the volute structure to the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment can be improved, thereby improving the reliability of the volute structure.

[0019] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the flow area of ​​the inlet of the first air supply channel is smaller than the flow area of ​​the inlet of the second air supply channel.

[0020] In this embodiment, by increasing the flow area of ​​the inlet of the second air supply channel, the air volume supplied to the refrigerator compartment by the volute structure is increased, which can improve the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator compartment without affecting the freezing effect of the freezer compartment.

[0021] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the volute body includes a shroud, at least a portion of which is logarithmically spiral-shaped.

[0022] In this embodiment, the enclosure can orderly guide the air generated by the fan impeller to the first and second air inlets, thereby improving the reliability of the volute body. Furthermore, the logarithmic spiral can match the trajectory of the air generated by the impeller, reducing airflow loss and improving the air delivery efficiency of the volute body to the refrigerator and freezer compartments.

[0023] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the volute structure further includes:

[0024] The third air supply channel has one end connected to the volute body, and the other end of the third air supply channel forms a third air outlet, which is used to supply air to the freezer compartment.

[0025] In the circumferential direction of the volute body, the second air supply channel is located between the first air supply channel and the third air supply channel.

[0026] In this embodiment, by setting a third air supply channel, the air supply volume to the freezer chamber is increased, thereby improving the freezing effect of the freezer chamber.

[0027] In some embodiments of this disclosure, at least a portion of the area corresponding to the third air supply duct is a flat plate structure.

[0028] In this embodiment, by setting the area between the enclosure and the third air supply duct as a flat plate structure, the air supply effect of the volute structure to the third air supply duct can be improved, thereby further improving the freezing effect of the freezer compartment.

[0029] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a refrigerator is provided, the refrigerator including the volute structure as described above, the refrigerator further including a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, a first air supply duct communicating with the freezer compartment, and a second air supply duct communicating with the refrigerator compartment.

[0030] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following beneficial effects:

[0031] By setting at least a portion of the sidewall of the second air supply duct to a concave structure, the airflow can be guided towards the second air outlet, thus playing a guiding role. On the other hand, the pressure difference between the second air supply duct and the downstream space of the second air outlet can be reduced, thereby reducing the resistance during the air supply process and improving the air supply efficiency to the cold storage compartment.

[0032] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0033] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the volute structure provided in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the volute structure provided in another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the volute structure provided in another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0037] In the picture:

[0038] 10-Volume body; 20-First air supply channel; 21-First air supply outlet; 30-Second air supply channel; 31-Second air supply outlet; 32-Concave structure; 33-Side wall; 40-Bifurcation structure; 41-First arc-shaped surface; 50-Third air supply channel; 51-Third air supply outlet; t-Minimum clearance; R-Volume radius; D1-First gradually expanding distance; D2-Second gradually expanding distance; L1-First inlet width; L2-Second inlet width; P-Plate structure. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this invention as detailed in the appended claims. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to any or all possible combinations including one or more of the associated listed items.

[0040] Refrigerators are common household refrigeration appliances, comprising the cabinet, doors, refrigeration system, and airflow system. Side-by-side refrigerators are a type of refrigerator that uses a horizontally arranged double-door structure, dividing the refrigerator into a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment. The volute, as a key component of the airflow system, delivers air to the freezer and refrigerator compartments to freeze and refrigerate food, thereby extending its shelf life.

[0041] An exemplary embodiment of this disclosure provides a volute structure, such as Figure 1As shown, the volute structure includes a volute body 10, a first air supply channel 20, and a second air supply channel 30. One end of the first air supply channel 20 is connected to the volute body 10, and the other end of the first air supply channel 20 forms a first air outlet 21, which is used to supply air to the freezer compartment. One end of the second air supply channel 30 is connected to the volute body 10, and the other end of the second air supply channel 30 forms a second air outlet 31, which is used to supply air to the refrigerator compartment. The second air supply channel 30 can be connected to a refrigerator air supply channel (not shown in the figure) via a damper (not shown in the figure) to supply air to the refrigerator compartment through the refrigerator air supply channel. The volute structure can be installed in refrigeration equipment such as refrigerators. The volute structure can deliver different air volumes to the freezer compartment through the first air supply channel 20 and to the refrigerator compartment through the second air supply channel 30 according to the user's settings, to meet different refrigeration and freezing needs.

[0042] In one embodiment, along the air supply direction of the second air supply duct 30, the sidewall 33 of the second air supply duct 30 extends obliquely upward, and the cross-section of the second air supply duct 30 is trapezoidal. When the second air supply duct 30 supplies air, the pressure in the second air supply duct 30 gradually increases along the air supply direction, resulting in a large pressure difference between the second air supply duct 30 on both sides of the damper and the refrigeration air supply duct. This causes a significant difference between the air supply velocity of the second air supply duct 30 and the air supply velocity of the refrigeration air supply duct, increasing the resistance of the air supply process and reducing the air supply efficiency to the refrigeration compartment.

[0043] In another embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, at least a portion of the sidewall of the second air supply channel 30 is recessed in a direction away from the inner cavity of the second air supply channel 30 to form a concave structure 32. The concave structure 32 can increase the airflow area of ​​the second air supply channel 30, thereby reducing the pressure inside the second air supply channel 30.

[0044] In this embodiment, by setting at least a portion of the sidewall of the second air supply channel as a concave structure, the airflow can be guided to flow towards the second air outlet, thus playing a guiding role. On the other hand, the pressure difference between the second air supply channel and the downstream space of the second air outlet can be reduced, thereby reducing the resistance during the air supply process and improving the air supply efficiency to the cold storage compartment.

[0045] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the first air supply channel 20 and the second air supply channel 30 are arranged adjacent to each other. The volute structure also includes a diversion structure 40, which is disposed between the first air supply channel 20 and the second air supply channel 30. One end of the diversion structure 40 is connected to the side wall of the first air supply channel 20, and the other end of the diversion structure 40 is connected to the side wall of the second air supply channel 30. The inner surface of the diversion structure 40 forms a first arc-shaped surface 41 that protrudes into the inner cavity of the volute structure.

[0046] In this embodiment, a flow-diverting structure is provided between the first and second air supply channels. This structure guides the airflow delivered by the volute structure, directing a portion to the first air supply channel and the other portion to the second. This prevents energy loss due to significant changes in airflow direction within the volute structure, effectively improving the airflow efficiency of the volute structure to the freezer and refrigerator compartments. Furthermore, the first arc-shaped surface not only guides the two airflow portions after diversion, improving freezing and refrigeration efficiency, but also reduces noise generated when the flow-diverting structure divides the airflow, thus enhancing the user experience.

[0047] For example, the diversion structure 40 can be integrally formed with the sidewalls of the first air supply channel 20 and the second air supply channel 30, which can reduce the complexity of the volute structure and improve the structural reliability of the volute structure.

[0048] In one embodiment, the first arc-shaped surface 41 is connected to the inner surface of the first air supply channel 20 and the inner surface of the second air supply channel 30 by a smooth curved surface transition.

[0049] In this embodiment, by setting a smooth curved surface, the noise generated by the split airflow in the first and second air supply channels is reduced, thereby improving the user experience. Moreover, since the smooth curved surface has no dead air angles, the airflow will not undergo significant changes in its delivery direction during the delivery process, reducing energy loss.

[0050] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, one end of the concave structure 32 is connected to the diversion structure 40, and the other end of the concave structure 32 extends to the second air outlet 31.

[0051] In this embodiment, by using the concave structure as the sidewall between the inlet and outlet of the second air supply channel, the airflow direction of the second air outlet can be further optimized, and the pressure difference between the second air supply channel and the external space of the second air outlet can be significantly reduced, thereby further reducing the resistance in the air supply process and improving the air supply efficiency to the refrigerator compartment.

[0052] For example, the concave structure 32 may also be disposed in a portion of the area between the diversion structure 40 and the second air outlet 31.

[0053] In one embodiment, the inner surface of the concave structure 32 is a second arc-shaped surface, and the radius of the second arc-shaped surface is greater than the radius of the first arc-shaped surface 41.

[0054] In this embodiment, the second arc-shaped surface can guide the air from the second air supply channel to be delivered obliquely upwards into the refrigeration air supply channel, thereby improving the air supply efficiency. Furthermore, the second arc-shaped surface can increase the volume of the second air supply channel and reduce the pressure within it, thus increasing the air supply efficiency to the refrigeration compartment. Simultaneously, due to the small radius of the first arc-shaped surface, it not only serves to divert airflow but also reduces the volume of the diversion structure, thereby reducing the volume of the volute structure.

[0055] In one embodiment, the radius of the first arc-shaped surface 41 is 3mm to 50mm, and the radius of the second arc-shaped surface is 60mm to 300mm.

[0056] In this embodiment, by setting the radius of the first arc surface and the radius of the second arc surface in the aforementioned region, the air supply efficiency and diversion effect of the volute structure to the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment can be improved, thereby improving the reliability of the volute structure.

[0057] For example, the radius of the first arc surface 41 may include 6mm, 7mm and 8mm, etc., and the radius of the second arc surface may include 120mm, 123mm and 125mm, etc.

[0058] For example, the length of the first arc-shaped surface 41 may include 20mm, 21mm and 22mm, etc., and the length of the second arc-shaped surface may include 50mm, 53mm and 56mm, etc.

[0059] In one embodiment, the flow area of ​​the inlet of the first air supply channel 20 is smaller than the flow area of ​​the inlet of the second air supply channel 30.

[0060] In this embodiment, by increasing the flow area of ​​the inlet of the second air supply channel, the air volume supplied to the refrigerator compartment by the volute structure is increased, which can improve the refrigeration effect of the refrigerator compartment without affecting the freezing effect of the freezer compartment.

[0061] For example, the flow area refers to the area at the inlet of the first air supply channel 20 and the inlet of the second air supply channel 30 that allows airflow to pass through.

[0062] In one embodiment, the volute body includes a shroud, at least a portion of which is logarithmically spiral-shaped.

[0063] In this embodiment, the enclosure can orderly guide the air generated by the fan impeller to the first and second air inlets, thereby improving the reliability of the volute body. Furthermore, the logarithmic spiral can match the trajectory of the air generated by the impeller, reducing airflow loss and improving the air delivery efficiency of the volute body to the refrigerator and freezer compartments.

[0064] For example, the enclosure has a spirally expanding structure with the cross-section gradually increasing from the starting end.

[0065] For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, when the outer diameter of the fan connected to the volute structure is D and the volute opening is A, the volute radius R = (0.03~0.06)×D, the minimum clearance t = (0.05~0.1)×D, the first gradually expanding distance D1 = D / 2 + 3A / 8, and the second gradually expanding distance D2 = D / 2 + 5A / 8.

[0066] For example, the basic element diameter is 85mm, the minimum gap t is 12mm, the volute radius R is 4mm, the first expansion distance D1 = 38mm, the second expansion distance D2 = 63mm, the radius of the first arc surface 41 is 7mm, the radius of the second arc surface is 123mm, the first inlet width L1 of the first air supply channel 20 is 37mm, and the second inlet width L2 of the second air supply channel 30 is 83mm. Relative to... Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The shunt structure 40 is offset inward by 14mm.

[0067] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the volute structure also includes a third air supply channel 50. One end of the third air supply channel 50 is connected to the volute body 10, and the other end of the third air supply channel 50 forms a third air outlet 51, which is used to supply air to the freezer compartment. In the circumferential direction of the volute body 10, the second air supply channel 30 is located between the first air supply channel 20 and the third air supply channel 50.

[0068] In this embodiment, by setting a third air supply channel, the air supply volume to the freezer chamber is increased, thereby improving the freezing effect of the freezer chamber.

[0069] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the area corresponding to the enclosure and the third air supply duct 50 has a flat plate structure P.

[0070] In this embodiment, by setting the area between the enclosure and the third air supply duct as a flat plate structure, the air supply effect of the volute structure to the third air supply duct can be improved, thereby further improving the freezing effect of the freezer compartment.

[0071] For example, the first air supply channel 20, the second air supply channel 30 and the third air supply channel 50 all have enclosed duct walls.

[0072] In one embodiment, the first air supply channel 20 is located at the top of the volute body, and the second air supply channel 30 is located at the side of the volute body.

[0073] In this embodiment, the first air supply channel and the second air supply channel are located at the top and side of the volute body, respectively. The volute structure can be adapted to the cooling method of the side-by-side refrigerator, thereby improving the cooling effect of the side-by-side refrigerator.

[0074] In one exemplary embodiment, a refrigerator is provided, comprising the volute structure described above. The refrigerator also includes a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, with a first air duct 20 communicating with the freezer compartment and a second air duct 30 communicating with the refrigerator compartment. The refrigerator can be a side-by-side refrigerator or a similar type.

[0075] For example, a side-by-side refrigerator includes two storage areas, left and right. When the side-by-side refrigerator is opened, the left side is a refrigerator area (or a freezer area), and the right side is a freezer area (or a refrigerator area).

[0076] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0077] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0078] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the utility models disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the claims.

[0079] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A volute structure, characterized by, The volute structure comprises: a volute body; a first air supply channel, one end of the first air supply channel being connected to the volute body, a port at the other end of the first air supply channel constituting a first air supply opening for supplying air to a freezing chamber; a second air supply channel, one end of the second air supply channel being connected to the volute body, a port at the other end of the second air supply channel constituting a second air supply opening for supplying air to a refrigerating chamber, at least part of the side wall of the second air supply channel being recessed in a direction away from the inner cavity of the second air supply channel to form an inner recess structure.

2. The spiral case structure according to claim 1, characterized by The first air supply channel and the second air supply channel are arranged adjacently, and the volute structure further comprises: a flow distribution structure, the flow distribution structure being arranged between the first air supply channel and the second air supply channel, one end of the flow distribution structure being connected to the side wall of the first air supply channel, the other end of the flow distribution structure being connected to the side wall of the second air supply channel; wherein the inner surface of the flow distribution structure is in a first arc surface that protrudes towards the inner cavity of the volute structure.

3. The volute structure according to claim 2, characterized by One end of the inner recess structure is connected to the flow distribution structure, and the other end of the inner recess structure extends to the second air supply opening.

4. The volute structure according to claim 3, characterized by The inner surface of the inner recess structure is in a second arc surface, the radius of the second arc surface being greater than the radius of the first arc surface.

5. The volute structure according to claim 4, characterized by The radius of the first arc surface is 3mm-50mm, and the radius of the second arc surface is 60mm-300mm.

6. The volute structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The flow area of the inlet of the first air supply channel is smaller than the flow area of the inlet of the second air supply channel.

7. The volute structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The volute body comprises a surrounding plate, at least part of the surrounding plate being in a logarithmic spiral line type.

8. The volute structure of claim 7, wherein The volute structure further comprises: a third air supply channel, one end of the third air supply channel being connected to the volute body, a port at the other end of the third air supply channel constituting a third air supply opening for supplying air to the freezing chamber; In the circumferential direction of the volute body, the second air supply channel is located between the first air supply channel and the third air supply channel.

9. The volute structure of claim 8, wherein At least part of the area of the surrounding plate corresponding to the third air supply channel is in a flat plate structure.

10. A refrigerator characterized by comprising: The refrigerator comprises the volute structure according to any one of claims 1-9, and further comprises a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber, the first air supply channel being in communication with the freezing chamber, and the second air supply channel being in communication with the refrigerating chamber.

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