Refrigerator fresh-keeping device and refrigerator
By installing valves and a vacuum pump that open and close in opposite directions in the refrigerator, and combining the vacuum pump with a nitrogen generation module, the problem of low nitrogen utilization rate is solved, achieving a highly efficient nitrogen preservation effect and extending the shelf life of food.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-21
AI Technical Summary
In existing refrigerator preservation technologies, the utilization rate of nitrogen filling is low, resulting in poor preservation effects.
By setting the first valve and the vacuum pump so that their opening and closing are opposite to each other, and combining the vacuum pump and the nitrogen generation module, the vacuum pump is used to create a negative pressure state before and after the nitrogen is filled, thereby improving the nitrogen utilization rate and the preservation effect.
This technology enables efficient use of nitrogen, improves the refrigerator's preservation effect, ensures that almost all nitrogen is used for food preservation, enhances the low-oxygen environment in the preservation compartment, and extends the food's shelf life.
Smart Images
Figure CN224151261U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to a refrigerator preservation device and a refrigerator. Background Technology
[0002] In modern society, as consumers' demands for refrigerator preservation functions increase, traditional refrigerator preservation technology, which relies solely on low temperatures, is gradually failing to meet market needs. Refrigerator manufacturers are constantly seeking new preservation technologies to enhance product competitiveness. Nitrogen-generating preservation technology has opened up new avenues for refrigerator preservation, creating a low-oxygen environment inside the refrigerator, further improving preservation effects and thus better maintaining the freshness of food.
[0003] In existing technologies, nitrogen is typically separated from the food using a nitrogen generator via pressure swing adsorption (PSA). This nitrogen is then introduced into the preservation zone, causing the oxygen-rich gas inside the zone to dissipate, thus creating a low-oxygen environment for food preservation. However, this method involves natural displacement of nitrogen, meaning nitrogen is simply introduced into the preservation zone, "squeezing" the oxygen-rich gas out. This process results in some nitrogen being released into the environment along with the oxygen-rich gas, leading to low nitrogen utilization and poor preservation performance. Utility Model Content
[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a refrigerator preservation device and refrigerator that can efficiently fill with nitrogen.
[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides the following technical solution:
[0006] A refrigerator preservation device includes a vacuum pump, a preservation compartment, a nitrogen generating module, a first pipeline, a second pipeline, and a first valve. The preservation compartment has an air inlet and an air outlet. The nitrogen generating module is used for separating nitrogen and oxygen and has a feed inlet, a nitrogen outlet, and an oxygen exhaust outlet.
[0007] One end of the first pipeline is connected to the nitrogen outlet, and the other end is connected to the air inlet; one end of the second pipeline is connected to the air outlet, and the other end is connected to the vacuum pump, so as to evacuate the preservation chamber by means of the vacuum pump; the first valve is provided on the first pipeline and can open / close the first pipeline in response to the pressure difference between the nitrogen generation module and the preservation chamber when the nitrogen generation module is turned on.
[0008] The opening / closing of the first valve and the opening / closing of the vacuum pump are configured to be opposite to each other.
[0009] Understandably, by setting up a first valve and a vacuum pump, with the opening / closing of the first valve and the vacuum pump being reversed—that is, when the first valve is open, the vacuum pump is off, and when the first valve is closed, the vacuum pump can be on—the vacuum pump can be used to evacuate the preservation compartment even when the first valve is closed. If, after the nitrogen generation module fills the preservation compartment with nitrogen, the first valve closes and the vacuum pump turns on, the vacuum pump can create a negative pressure state in the preservation compartment, achieving a dual combined preservation effect of negative pressure and nitrogen. Conversely, if, before the nitrogen generation module fills the preservation compartment with nitrogen, the vacuum pump can remove some air from the compartment and create a negative pressure state, the nitrogen generated by the nitrogen generation module can then fill the compartment and restore it to normal pressure. Furthermore, almost all of the nitrogen generated by the nitrogen generation module can be used for food preservation, resulting in high nitrogen utilization and excellent preservation effect.
[0010] In one embodiment, the vacuum pump evacuates the preservation compartment twice during a nitrogen production cycle;
[0011] One of these settings is configured before the nitrogen-generating module generates nitrogen, and the other is configured after the refrigeration compartment is filled with nitrogen and the nitrogen-generating module is turned off.
[0012] Understandably, by using a vacuum pump to evacuate the freshness compartment before and after the nitrogen generation module is turned off, the oxygen concentration inside the compartment can be reduced before nitrogen is introduced, and further reduced after nitrogen is introduced. At the same time, a negative pressure environment is created inside the compartment, which can further improve the refrigerator's freshness preservation ability and achieve a good preservation effect.
[0013] In one embodiment, the nitrogen generation module generates nitrogen m times, and the interval between two adjacent nitrogen generation operations is n time.
[0014] After the preservation compartment is filled with nitrogen and the nitrogen generation module is turned off, the vacuum pump evacuates the preservation compartment for a duration of p, where n is greater than p.
[0015] It is understandable that by ensuring that the interval between two consecutive nitrogen generation operations is longer than the time it takes for the vacuum pump to evacuate the preservation compartment, the normal operation of the nitrogen generation module will not be affected when the vacuum pump performs the evacuation operation.
[0016] In one embodiment, a second valve is provided at the oxygen vent.
[0017] In one embodiment, the first valve is configured as either a pressure shut-off valve or a solenoid valve.
[0018] In one embodiment, the nitrogen generation module is configured as a molecular sieve tower.
[0019] In one embodiment, the refrigerator preservation device further includes an air intake module, which is connected to the feed inlet via a third pipe.
[0020] In one embodiment, the preservation compartment includes a compartment body, a drawer, and a sealing ring. The compartment body has an opening on one side, and the air inlet and the air outlet are located on the compartment body. The sealing ring surrounds the opening, and the drawer is located inside the compartment body by being pulled out through the opening.
[0021] When the drawer is closed, the drawer abuts against the sealing ring to form a seal.
[0022] Understandably, by designing the drawer as a pull-out unit within the compartment and sealing it with a sealing ring, users can conveniently store food by pulling out the drawer. When the drawer is pushed into the compartment, the sealing ring ensures a good seal between the drawer and the compartment, preventing nitrogen leakage and disruption of the negative pressure environment. This maintains a high-nitrogen, low-oxygen environment inside, improving the preservation effect on the stored items.
[0023] In one embodiment, the side of the drawer facing the air inlet is configured as an open opening.
[0024] This application also provides the following technical solutions:
[0025] A refrigerator includes a refrigerator preservation device as described in any of the above embodiments.
[0026] Compared to existing technologies, the refrigerator preservation device and its refrigerator are equipped with a first valve and a vacuum pump, with the opening / closing of the first valve and the vacuum pump being reversed. That is, when the first valve is open, the vacuum pump is off, and when the first valve is closed, the vacuum pump can be on. Thus, even when the first valve is closed, the vacuum pump can still evacuate the preservation compartment. If, after the nitrogen generation module fills the preservation compartment with nitrogen, the first valve closes and the vacuum pump turns on, the vacuum pump can create a negative pressure state in the preservation compartment, achieving a dual composite preservation effect of negative pressure and nitrogen. Conversely, if, before the nitrogen generation module fills the preservation compartment with nitrogen, the vacuum pump can remove some air from the compartment and create a negative pressure state. This allows the nitrogen generated by the nitrogen generation module to fill the compartment and restore it to normal pressure. Furthermore, almost all of the nitrogen generated by the nitrogen generation module can be used for food preservation, resulting in high nitrogen utilization and excellent preservation effect. Attached Figure Description
[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerator preservation device provided in this application.
[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the preservation compartment provided in this application.
[0030] The component labels are as follows:
[0031] 100. Refrigerator preservation device; 10. Vacuum pump; 20. Preservation compartment; 21. Air inlet; 22. Air outlet; 23. Compartment; 231. Opening; 24. Drawer; 241. Opening; 25. Sealing ring; 30. Nitrogen generator module; 31. Feed inlet; 32. Nitrogen outlet; 33. Oxygen vent; 331. Second valve; 40. First pipeline; 41. First valve; 50. Second pipeline; 60. Air inlet module; 61. Third pipeline. Detailed Implementation
[0032] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0033] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application's specification are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.
[0034] 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 application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0035] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0036] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0037] Please see Figures 1 to 2This application provides a refrigerator preservation device 100, which includes a vacuum pump 10, a preservation compartment 20, a nitrogen generating module 30, a first pipeline 40, a second pipeline 50, and a first valve 41. The preservation compartment 20 has an air inlet 21 and an air outlet 22. The nitrogen generating module 30 is used for separating nitrogen and oxygen and has a feed inlet 31, a nitrogen outlet 32, and an oxygen exhaust outlet 33. One end of the first pipeline 40 is connected to the nitrogen outlet 32, and the other end is connected to the air inlet 21. One end of the second pipeline 50 is connected to the air outlet 22, and the other end is connected to the vacuum pump 10 to evacuate the preservation compartment 20. The first valve 41 is disposed on the first pipeline 40 and can open / close the first pipeline 40 in response to the pressure difference between the nitrogen generating module 30 and the preservation compartment 20. Thus, by setting the first valve 41 and the vacuum pump 10, and making the opening / closing of the first valve 41 and the vacuum pump 10 reversed, that is, when the first valve 41 is open, the vacuum pump 10 is closed, and when the first valve 41 is closed, the vacuum pump 10 can be turned on. In this way, when the first valve 41 is closed, the vacuum pump 10 can be used to evacuate the preservation chamber 20. However, if the nitrogen generation module 30 fills the preservation chamber 20 with nitrogen, and then the first valve 41 is closed and the vacuum pump 10 is turned on, the vacuum pump 10 can create a negative pressure state in the preservation chamber 20, thereby achieving a dual composite preservation of negative pressure and nitrogen. Before the nitrogen generating module 30 fills the preservation chamber 20 with nitrogen, the vacuum pump 10 can further remove some of the air inside the preservation chamber 20 and make the preservation chamber 20 present a negative pressure state. In this way, the nitrogen generated by the nitrogen generating module 30 fills the interior of the preservation chamber 20 and restores the preservation chamber 20 to a normal pressure state. At the same time, almost all of the nitrogen generated by the nitrogen generating module 30 can be used for the preservation of items, with high nitrogen utilization and good preservation effect.
[0038] In one embodiment, the refrigerator preservation device 100, when preserving food inside the preservation compartment 20, includes at least one nitrogen generation cycle. One nitrogen generation cycle comprises *a* cycles, where *a* is an integer greater than or equal to 1. It should be explained that the nitrogen generation cycle consists of the vacuum pump 10 performing a vacuuming operation on the preservation compartment 20, the nitrogen generation module 30 performing a nitrogen generation operation, and the vacuum pump 10 performing a second vacuuming operation on the preservation compartment 20. There is a downtime period between two adjacent nitrogen generation cycles, which can be 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, etc. One cycle is set as one nitrogen generation operation by the nitrogen generation module 30, with an interval of *n* hours. The value of *a* can be 2-12, etc. For example, the value of *a* can be 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, etc.
[0039] Here, the number of nitrogen generation cycles can be set according to the characteristics of the food to be preserved or the refrigerator's own control logic. For example, when the refrigerator leaves the factory, it is set to have two nitrogen generation cycles per day, meaning that two nitrogen generation cycles will be completed within a preset time. Alternatively, the setting can be based on the characteristics of the food to be preserved. For example, fresh meat and fish generally have a refrigerated shelf life of 1-2 days. Therefore, within this shelf life, three or four nitrogen generation cycles can be set, and then the three or four nitrogen generation cycles will be completed within 1-2 days. Similarly, for vegetables, leafy greens have a refrigerated shelf life of 7-10 days. Therefore, within this shelf life, ten or twelve nitrogen generation cycles can be set, and then the ten or twelve nitrogen generation cycles will be completed within 7-10 days. The above are merely illustrative examples. Different foods have different shelf lives, and the specific settings can be adjusted according to the different characteristics of the food. Since the specific setting method is not the focus of this application, it will not be elaborated here.
[0040] Preferably, within a nitrogen generation cycle, the vacuum pump 10 evacuates the preservation chamber 20 at least twice; one time is performed before the nitrogen generation module 30 is turned on and begins nitrogen generation, and the remaining times are performed after the preservation chamber 20 is filled with nitrogen and the nitrogen generation module 30 is turned off. Thus, by evacuating the preservation chamber 20 using the vacuum pump 10 before and after the nitrogen generation module 30 is turned off, the oxygen concentration inside the preservation chamber 20 can be reduced before nitrogen is introduced, and a negative pressure environment can be created inside the preservation chamber 20 after nitrogen is introduced. By coupling the vacuum method and the nitrogen generation method, the preservation capacity of the preservation chamber 20 can be further improved, achieving a good preservation effect.
[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, the preservation compartment 20 includes a compartment body 23, a drawer 24, and a sealing ring 25. An opening 231 is provided on one side of the compartment body 23, with an air inlet 21 and an air outlet 22 located on the compartment body 23. The sealing ring 25 surrounds the opening 231, and the drawer 24 is pulled out of the compartment body 23 via the opening 231. When the drawer 24 is closed, it abuts against the sealing ring 25 to seal. Thus, by pulling the drawer 24 out of the compartment body 23 and sealing it with the sealing ring 25, users can easily store food by pulling out the drawer 24. When the drawer 24 is pushed into the compartment body 23, the sealing ring 25 ensures a good seal between the drawer 24 and the compartment body 23, preventing nitrogen leakage and maintaining a high-nitrogen, low-oxygen environment inside, thereby preserving the contents.
[0042] Preferably, the sealing ring 25 can be made of rubber or silicone.
[0043] In one embodiment, the side of drawer 24 facing the air inlet 21 is configured as an open opening 241. In this way, there is no obstruction between drawer 24 and the compartment 23 that would impede other flows, allowing nitrogen to better participate in the preservation of the items inside drawer 24.
[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, within one nitrogen generation cycle, the nitrogen generation module 30 performs nitrogen generation operations m times, with an interval n between adjacent nitrogen generation operations. After the preservation chamber 20 is filled with nitrogen and the nitrogen generation module 30 is turned off, the vacuum pump 10 evacuates the preservation chamber 20 for a duration p, where n is greater than p. Thus, because the interval between adjacent nitrogen generation operations is longer than the evacuation time of the vacuum pump 10, the normal operation of the nitrogen generation module 30 is not affected when the vacuum pump 10 performs the evacuation operation.
[0045] Here, m is equal to a, meaning that nitrogen is produced once in one cycle.
[0046] In one embodiment, n is greater than 1.5 min, and p is less than 1 min. For example, n can be set to 1.6 min, 2 min, 2.5 min, etc., and p can be set to 0.9 min, 0.8 min, 0.7 min, 0.6 min, 0.5 min, etc. Of course, the specific values of n and p can be set according to the actual situation.
[0047] In this embodiment, the nitrogen generation module 30 is configured as a molecular sieve tower, specifically a multi-molecular sieve tower or a single-molecular sieve tower. Of course, in other embodiments, the nitrogen generation module 30 can also be composed of components such as an adsorbent tank or a nitrogen-oxygen separation membrane.
[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, a second valve 331 is installed at the oxygen vent 33. Thus, the opening and closing of the oxygen vent 33 is controlled by the second valve 331. When the nitrogen generating module 30 generates nitrogen, the second valve 331 opens, and the oxygen generated by the nitrogen generating module 30 is discharged through the oxygen vent 33.
[0049] In this embodiment, the second valve is configured as a solenoid valve.
[0050] In one embodiment, the first valve 41 is configured as either a pressure shut-off valve or a solenoid valve.
[0051] In this embodiment, the first valve 41 is configured as a pressure shut-off valve. This allows for timely response to the pressure difference between the nitrogen generating module 30 and the preservation compartment 20, enabling the first pipeline 40 to be opened / closed automatically without manual intervention, thus improving the automation level of the refrigerator preservation device 100. Simultaneously, since the first pipeline 40 is opened or closed in response to pressure, the pressure within the nitrogen generating module 30 during nitrogen generation is ensured to be sufficient, thereby improving nitrogen generation efficiency and effectiveness.
[0052] like Figure 1 As shown, the refrigerator preservation device 100 also includes an air intake module 60, which is connected to the feed inlet 31 via a third pipe 61.
[0053] In one embodiment, the air intake module 60 is an air pump, compressor, etc.
[0054] The working principle of the refrigerator preservation device 100 for nitrogen generation and oxygen removal in this application is as follows:
[0055] Step 1: Vacuum pump 10 is connected to air outlet 22 and vacuum is drawn into the preservation chamber 20 through air outlet 22, so that the preservation chamber 20 is in a negative pressure state.
[0056] The second step involves the intake module 60 taking in air and the nitrogen generation module 30 separating nitrogen and oxygen. Oxygen is discharged through the oxygen exhaust port 33, while nitrogen enters the preservation chamber 20 through the intake port 21 via the first valve 41. After nitrogen generation is completed, the vacuum pump 10 runs again for p seconds to bring the preservation chamber 20 into a negative pressure state.
[0057] Thus, by coupling the vacuum method and the nitrogen generation method, the preservation effect of the preservation chamber 20 is improved.
[0058] This application also provides the following technical solutions:
[0059] A refrigerator includes a refrigerator preservation device 100 as described in any of the above embodiments.
[0060] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0061] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A refrigerator freshness keeping device, characterized by, The refrigerator preservation device (100) includes a vacuum pump (10), a preservation compartment (20), a nitrogen generating module (30), a first pipeline (40), a second pipeline (50), and a first valve (41). The preservation compartment (20) has an air inlet (21) and an air outlet (22). The nitrogen generating module (30) is used for the separation of nitrogen and oxygen and has a feed inlet (31), a nitrogen outlet (32), and an oxygen exhaust outlet (33). One end of the first pipeline (40) is connected to the nitrogen outlet (32), and the other end is connected to the air inlet (21); one end of the second pipeline (50) is connected to the air outlet (22), and the other end is connected to the vacuum pump (10) to evacuate the preservation chamber (20) through the vacuum pump (10); the first valve (41) is provided on the first pipeline (40) and can open / close the first pipeline (40) in response to the pressure difference between the nitrogen generating module (30) and the preservation chamber (20) when the nitrogen generating module (30) is turned on; The opening / closing of the first valve (41) and the opening / closing of the vacuum pump (10) are configured to be opposite to each other.
2. The refrigerator freshness maintaining device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator preservation device includes at least one nitrogen generation cycle, and each nitrogen generation cycle includes a cycles, where a is an integer greater than or equal to 1; In one nitrogen production cycle, the vacuum pump (10) evacuates the preservation chamber (20) at least twice; One of the times is set before the nitrogen generating module (30) is turned on and generates nitrogen, and the remaining times are set after the freshness compartment (20) is filled with nitrogen and the nitrogen generating module (30) is turned off.
3. The refrigerator freshness maintaining device according to claim 2, characterized in that, Within one nitrogen production cycle, the nitrogen production module (30) performs nitrogen production operations m times, with an interval of n hours between two adjacent nitrogen production operations; Furthermore, within one cycle, after the preservation chamber (20) is filled with nitrogen and the nitrogen generation module (30) is turned off, the vacuum pump (10) evacuates the preservation chamber (20) for a duration of p, where n is greater than p.
4. The refrigerator freshness maintaining device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A second valve (331) is provided at the oxygen vent (33).
5. The refrigerator freshness maintaining device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first valve (41) is configured as either a pressure shut-off valve or a solenoid valve.
6. The refrigerator freshness maintaining device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nitrogen generation module (30) is configured as a molecular sieve tower.
7. The refrigerator freshness maintaining device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator preservation device (100) also includes an air intake module (60), which is connected to the feed inlet (31) through a third pipe (61).
8. The refrigerator freshness maintaining device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preservation compartment (20) includes a compartment body (23), a drawer (24), and a sealing ring (25). An opening (231) is provided on one side of the compartment body (23), and the air inlet (21) and the air outlet (22) are provided on the compartment body (23). The sealing ring (25) is arranged around the opening (231), and the drawer (24) is provided in the compartment body (23) by pulling out through the opening (231). When the drawer (24) is closed, the drawer (24) abuts against the sealing ring (25) to seal.
9. The refrigerator freshness preserving apparatus (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The drawer (24) is open (241) on one side facing the air inlet (21).
10. A refrigerator characterized by comprising: A refrigerator fresh-keeping device (100) according to any one of claims 1-9.