Air duct assembly and refrigeration equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides an air duct assembly and refrigeration equipment. The air duct assembly comprises a back cover plate and a top cover plate. The back cover plate is provided with a top side part and a bottom side part which are arranged at intervals in the height direction of the back cover plate, and the back cover plate is further provided with air return ports distributed between the top side part and the bottom side part. The top cover plate comprises a connecting part connected with the top side part, a bearing part connected with the connecting part and an air outlet part connected with the bearing part, the connecting part, the bearing part and the air outlet part are sequentially arranged in the thickness direction of the back cover plate, and the air outlet part is provided with an air outlet. Wherein the bearing part is used for installing an evaporator of the refrigeration equipment, and the air outlet part is used for installing a fan of the refrigeration equipment, so that the fan blows cold air subjected to heat exchange through the evaporator out of the air outlet and then sucks the cold air back from the air return opening. According to the air duct assembly, the cold air supply path of the refrigeration equipment can be improved, the refrigeration effect of front-row articles is improved, and the user satisfaction degree is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of refrigeration equipment technology, and in particular to an air duct assembly and refrigeration equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Refrigeration equipment such as refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners are indispensable household appliances in people's daily lives. Refrigeration equipment uses an evaporator to absorb heat from the surrounding air to produce cold air, which is then blown out by a fan to maintain the cooling effect. Taking a freezer as an example, a freezer has a refrigerated compartment for storing beverages, fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc., and a door for opening or closing the refrigerated compartment. The freezer's evaporator and fan are used to deliver cold air to the refrigerated compartment to maintain the cooling effect and extend the shelf life of the items.

[0003] However, in related technologies, refrigeration equipment typically outputs cold air from the back of the refrigeration compartment (the side opposite the door of the refrigeration equipment), and the cold air then flows from the back to the front row near the door for cooling. This rear-flow refrigeration method results in a temperature difference between the items in the front row and the items in the back row, making the cooling effect on the items in the front row poor and affecting the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, this application provides an air duct component and a refrigeration device that can improve the cold air delivery path of the refrigeration device, improve the cooling effect of items in the front row, and increase user satisfaction.

[0005] Specifically, this application is implemented through the following technical solution:

[0006] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, a duct assembly is provided for a refrigeration device. The duct assembly includes a back cover and a top cover. The back cover has a top side portion and a bottom side portion spaced apart along the height direction of the back cover, and the back cover also has return air vents distributed between the top side portion and the bottom side portion. The top cover includes a connecting portion connected to the top side portion, a support portion connected to the connecting portion, and an air outlet portion connected to the support portion. The connecting portion, the support portion, and the air outlet portion are arranged sequentially along the thickness direction of the back cover, and the air outlet portion has an air outlet. The support portion is used to mount the evaporator of the refrigeration device, and the air outlet portion is used to mount the fan of the refrigeration device, so that the fan blows the cold air after heat exchange in the evaporator out from the air outlet portion and then draws it back from the return air vent.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a refrigeration device is provided, including a housing assembly, an evaporator, a fan, and the aforementioned air duct assembly. The housing assembly has a mounting cavity and an opening communicating with the mounting cavity. The housing assembly includes a back wall portion disposed opposite to the opening and a top wall portion and a bottom wall portion spaced apart along the height direction of the refrigeration device. The air duct assembly is disposed within the mounting cavity. A back cover plate covers the back wall portion and is spaced apart from the back wall portion, and a top cover plate covers the top wall portion and is spaced apart from the top wall portion, thereby dividing the mounting cavity into a refrigeration chamber communicating with the opening and a rear air duct communicating with the refrigeration chamber. The evaporator is installed between a support portion and the top wall portion, and the fan is installed between an air outlet portion and the top wall portion. The air outlet and the air return port are respectively communicating with the refrigeration chamber. The fan blows the cold air cooled by the evaporator into the refrigeration chamber from the air outlet, and then draws the gas in the refrigeration chamber back to the rear air duct from the air return port to exchange heat with the evaporator.

[0008] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0009] The air duct assembly provided in this application is used to cooperate with the housing of a refrigeration equipment to form an air duct communicating with the refrigeration compartment of the refrigeration equipment. Specifically, a back cover plate covers the back wall of the housing and is spaced apart from the back wall, while a top cover plate covers the top wall of the housing and is spaced apart from the top wall. The connecting portion of the top cover plate connects to the top side of the back cover plate, making the top cover plate and the back cover plate an integral unit, thus forming a rear air duct communicating with the refrigeration compartment. The evaporator and fan of the refrigeration equipment can be installed within the rear air duct. The supporting portion of the top cover plate supports the evaporator, and the air outlet portion supports the fan. The air outlet portion has an air outlet, and the back cover plate has return air inlets distributed between its top and bottom sides. In this way, the fan of the refrigeration equipment can blow the cold air cooled by the evaporator from the air outlet of the top cover to the refrigeration room. The air outlet is close to the door of the refrigeration equipment and can directly send air to the front row. The cold air flows from the front row to the rear row and returns to the rear air duct through the return air vent of the back cover. After being cooled again by the evaporator, it is blown out by the fan from the air outlet, forming a cold air circulation and maintaining the refrigeration effect of the refrigeration room.

[0010] Thus, the air duct assembly provided in this application, by setting a return air vent on the back cover and an air outlet on the top cover, can form a circulating air supply and cooling method with air flowing out from the front of the top and returning from the back. This allows the cold air generated by the evaporator to be blown out of the air outlet by the fan, first contacting and exchanging heat with the items in the front row of the refrigeration equipment, and then flowing backward to contact and exchange heat with the items in the rear row. This shortens the airflow path of the cold air to the items in the front row, thereby quickly reducing the temperature of the load in the front row, ensuring that the cooling effect of the items in the front row meets the user's needs and improves satisfaction.

[0011] Understandably, the air duct components provided in this application are not limited to use in refrigeration equipment such as freezers, refrigerators, or crispers, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0012] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The illustrative embodiments of this application and their descriptions are used to explain this application and do not constitute an improper limitation of this application.

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying 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.

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the air duct assembly provided by this utility model.

[0016] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the top cover plate provided by this utility model.

[0017] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the assembly of the air duct component and the refrigeration equipment provided by this utility model.

[0018] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the air duct assembly provided by this utility model, which includes an evaporator and a fan.

[0019] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the refrigeration equipment provided by this utility model.

[0020] Figure 6 For along Figure 5 Sectional view of AA.

[0021] Figure label:

[0022] 1-Refrigeration equipment; 10-Air duct assembly; 11-Back cover; 111-Return air vent; 111a-Top layer return air vent; 111b-Middle layer return air vent; 111c-Bottom layer return air vent; 112-Top side; 113-Bottom side; 12-Top cover; 121-Connection part; 1211-Installation structure; 1212-Limiting structure; 122-Bearing part; 123-Air outlet; 124-Air outlet; 125-Rib; 13-Air guide plate; 14-Drainage structure ; 141-Water inlet; 142-Water outlet; 143-Water baffle; 144-Drainage channel; 15-Guide rib; 16-Baffle; 17-Accommodation cavity; 18-First spacing; 20-Shell assembly; 21-Mounting cavity; 211-Refrigeration compartment; 212-Rear air duct; 213-Front air duct; 22-Back wall; 23-Top wall; 24-Bottom wall; 30-Evaporator; 40-Fan; 50-Door assembly; 60-Shelf assembly; 70-Second spacing. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions in the embodiments (or "implementations") of this application will be clearly and completely described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0024] If the embodiments of this application contain terms relating to directional indications or positional relationships (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, inside, outside, top, bottom, center, vertical, horizontal, longitudinal, transverse, length, height, counterclockwise, clockwise, axial, radial, circumferential, etc.), such terms are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movements between components in a specific posture (as shown in the attached figures). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications or positional relationships will also change accordingly.

[0025] Refrigeration equipment such as refrigerators, freezers, and display cases are indispensable household appliances in people's daily lives. Refrigeration equipment uses an evaporator to absorb heat from the surrounding air to produce cold air, which is then blown out by a fan to maintain the cooling effect. Taking a freezer as an example, a freezer has a refrigerated compartment for storing beverages, fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc., and a door for opening or closing the refrigerated compartment. The freezer's evaporator and fan are used to deliver cold air to the refrigerated compartment to maintain the cooling effect and extend the shelf life of the items.

[0026] In related technologies, freezers typically output cold air from the rear of the refrigeration compartment (the side opposite the freezer door), and the cold air then flows from the rear to the front row near the door for cooling. This rear-mounted airflow cooling method causes items in the back row to cool first, with the temperature rising as the cold air flows to the front, resulting in a temperature difference between the front and back items. Furthermore, when consumers select items from the freezer, they usually open the door and prioritize items in the front row. This frequent opening of the freezer door causes the front-row items to be frequently exposed to warm air from outside, further exacerbating the temperature difference. In other words, the front row of the freezer experiences a higher temperature load than the back row, and the front-row items purchased by consumers are less effectively cooled, negatively impacting the shopping experience.

[0027] To lower the temperature at the front of a freezer, some technologies increase the volume and speed of cold air delivery to the refrigeration compartment by increasing the heat dissipation area of ​​the evaporator and the exhaust volume of the fan. However, increasing the heat dissipation area of ​​the evaporator and the exhaust volume of the fan will result in a larger evaporator and fan, which in turn will reduce the volume of the freezer and decrease the amount of stock it can hold.

[0028] Based on this, this application provides an air duct component that can improve the cold air delivery path of the refrigeration equipment without reducing the volume of the refrigeration equipment, reduce the front temperature of the refrigeration equipment, realize the front of the equipment being used and cooled first, and improve consumer satisfaction.

[0029] The air duct assembly 10 provided in this application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0030] See Figures 1 to 3 This application provides an air duct assembly 10 for use in a refrigeration device 1. The air duct assembly 10 includes a back cover plate 11 and a top cover plate 12. The back cover plate 11 has a top side portion 112 and a bottom side portion 113 spaced apart along the height direction of the back cover plate 11, and the back cover plate 11 also has return air vents 111 distributed between the top side portion 112 and the bottom side portion 113. The top cover plate 12 includes a connecting portion 121 connected to the top side portion 112, a supporting portion 122 connected to the connecting portion 121, and an air outlet portion 123 connected to the supporting portion 122. The connecting portion 121, the supporting portion 122, and the air outlet portion 123 are arranged sequentially along the thickness direction of the back cover plate 11, and the air outlet portion 123 has an air outlet 124. The support part 122 is used to install the evaporator 30 of the refrigeration equipment 1, and the air outlet part 123 is used to install the fan 40 of the refrigeration equipment 1, so that the fan 40 blows the cold air after heat exchange through the evaporator 30 out from the air outlet 124 and then draws it back from the return air outlet 111.

[0031] It should be noted that the air duct assembly 10 is used in conjunction with the housing assembly 20 of the refrigeration equipment 1 to form a rear air duct 212 that communicates with the refrigeration chamber 211 of the refrigeration equipment 1. For example, Figure 3 As shown, the back cover 11 can be used to cover the back wall portion 22 of the housing assembly 20 and is spaced apart from the back wall portion 22, and the top cover 12 can be used to cover the top wall portion 23 of the housing assembly 20 and is spaced apart from the top wall portion 23. The evaporator 30 and the fan 40 of the refrigeration equipment 1 can be installed in the rear air duct 212 to blow the cold air generated in the rear air duct 212 to the refrigeration chamber 211 for heat exchange, and to draw the heat-exchanged gas in the refrigeration chamber 211 back to the rear air duct 212 for cooling, forming cold air that is then blown into the refrigeration chamber 211 to form a cold air circulation, thereby maintaining the cooling effect of the refrigeration chamber 211.

[0032] Specifically, the height direction of the back cover 11 can be along... Figure 1 The vertical orientation is shown. The back cover 11 has an edge... Figure 1 The top side portion 112 and bottom side portion 113 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. The back cover 11 has return air vents 111 distributed between the top side portion 112 and the bottom side portion 113. The gas in the cooling chamber 211 can return to the rear air duct 212 through the return air vents 111 and be cooled by the evaporator 30 to form cold air. The top cover 12 has a lateral section along the top side portion 112. Figure 1 The air outlet 123, the support portion 122, and the connecting portion 121 are connected sequentially in the front-to-back direction. The connecting portion 121 connects to the top side portion 112, making the top cover 12 and the back cover 11 a single unit, so as to form a rear air duct 212 communicating with the refrigeration compartment 211 with the housing assembly 20 of the refrigeration equipment 1. The support portion 122 can be used to support the evaporator 30, and the air outlet 123 can be used to support the fan 40. The air outlet 123 is provided with an air outlet 124. In this way, the fan 40 can blow the cooled air, which has been cooled by the evaporator 30, from the air outlet 124 of the top cover 12 to the cooling room 211. The air outlet 124 is close to the door of the refrigeration equipment 1 and can directly blow air to the front row. The cooled air flows from the front row to the rear row and returns to the rear air duct 212 through the return air vent 111 of the back cover 11. After being cooled again by the evaporator 30, it is blown out from the air outlet 124 by the fan 40, forming a cold air circulation and maintaining the cooling effect of the cooling room 211. It is understood that the evaporator 30 and the fan 40 can be installed on the housing assembly 20 of the refrigeration equipment 1, or they can be installed on the support part 122 and the air outlet part 123 of the air duct assembly 10 respectively. This application does not impose any restrictions.

[0033] Thus, the air duct assembly 10 provided in this application, by setting a return air vent 111 on the back cover 11 and an air outlet 124 on the air outlet 123 of the top cover 12, and installing it in conjunction with the evaporator 30 and the fan 40, can form a circulating air supply and cooling method with air flowing out from the top front and air flowing back from the back. In this way, the cold air generated by the evaporator 30 is blown out from the air outlet 124 by the fan 40, and can first come into contact with the front row of items in the cooling equipment 1 for heat exchange, and then flow backward to come into contact with the rear row of items for heat exchange. This shortens the airflow path of the cold air to the front row of items, thereby quickly reducing the temperature of the front row load, so that the cooling effect of the front row of items can meet the purchasing needs of consumers and improve satisfaction. In addition, since the items in the back row usually stay in the refrigeration equipment 1 for a long time and are relatively far from the door of the refrigeration equipment 1, whenever the gas in the refrigeration chamber 211 is drawn back from the return air vent 111 of the back cover 11, the items in the back row can continuously exchange heat to maintain the refrigeration effect and thus balance the temperature difference between the front row and the back row.

[0034] Therefore, the air duct assembly 10 provided in this application can improve the airflow path of the cold air to form a circulating airflow cooling mode with airflow from the top front and airflow return from the back rear, achieving a front-row cooling effect within the refrigeration equipment 1 and improving consumer satisfaction. Furthermore, the air duct assembly 10 provided in this application does not require additional expansion of the evaporator 30 and / or fan 40, enabling rapid cooling of front-row items without reducing the volume of the refrigeration equipment 1.

[0035] It is understood that the air duct assembly 10 provided in this application is not limited to use in refrigeration equipment 1 such as freezers, refrigerators or crispers, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0036] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, to facilitate the connection between the top cover plate 12 and the back cover plate 11, the connecting part 121 is provided with a mounting structure 1211 protruding in the direction from the top side part 112 to the bottom side part 113. The mounting structure 1211 is connected to the top side part 112. The side of the bearing part 122 facing away from the mounting structure 1211 is used to install the evaporator 30, and the side of the air outlet part 123 facing away from the mounting structure 1211 is used to install the fan 40.

[0037] It should be noted that the mounting structure 1211 can be a mounting rib protruding downward from the connecting part 121. The mounting rib and the top side 112 of the back cover 11 can be fixed by bolts, plugs, or adhesives, etc., and this application does not impose any restrictions. With this configuration, the top cover 12 and the back cover 11 are connected by the mounting structure 1211 to form an L-shaped air duct assembly 10, which facilitates the spaced assembly of the air duct assembly 10 with the housing assembly 20 of the refrigeration equipment 1 to form an air supply method of top air supply and back air return.

[0038] Furthermore, the top cover 12 has a bottom surface facing downwards and a top surface facing upwards. The mounting structure 1211 protrudes downwards from the bottom surface of the top cover 12, allowing the evaporator 30 and fan 40 of the refrigeration equipment 1 to be installed on the top surface of the top cover 12. Thus, when the air duct assembly 10 is installed with the housing assembly 20 of the refrigeration equipment 1, the evaporator 30 and fan 40 can be concealed between the top cover 12 and the housing assembly 20, ensuring a clean and aesthetically pleasing interior wall of the refrigeration compartment 211.

[0039] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the air duct assembly 10 further includes a baffle 16, which protrudes from the top cover plate 12 along the direction from the bottom side 113 to the top side 112. The baffle 16 and the top cover plate 12 form a receiving cavity 17, which is used to receive the evaporator 30 and the fan 40 of the refrigeration equipment 1. The return air port 111 and the air outlet 124 are respectively connected to the receiving cavity 17.

[0040] It should be noted that the baffle 16 protrudes upward from the top cover 12. On one hand, when the top cover 12 is connected to the top wall 23 of the housing assembly 20, the baffle 16 can be used to space the top cover 12 and the top wall 23 of the housing assembly 20, so that a top gap is formed between the top cover 12 and the top wall 23, which facilitates the cold airflow to be discharged from the air outlet 124 through the top gap, thus cooling the items in the front row. On the other hand, a receiving cavity 17 is formed between the baffle 16 and the top cover 12, in which the evaporator 30 and the fan 40 of the refrigeration equipment 1 can be installed, thereby hiding the evaporator 30 and the fan 40 and ensuring that the inner wall of the refrigeration compartment 211 is clean and aesthetically pleasing. For example, the baffle 16 can be a straight plate that protrudes from the side of the top cover 12 near the front row. For example, the baffle 16 can also be a semi-enclosed curved plate. Taking the top cover 12 as a square plate as an example, the top cover 12 has a front side near the front row, a rear side near the back cover 11, and left and right sides connecting the front and rear sides. Then the baffle 16 can protrude from the front side and left and right sides of the top cover 12, forming a receiving cavity 17 with the top cover 12. This application does not limit the shape of the baffle 16.

[0041] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, in order to facilitate the cooperation between the air duct assembly 10 and the housing assembly 20 to form a rear air duct 212, the connecting part 121 is also provided with a limiting structure 1212, which protrudes from the connecting part 121 along the direction from the air outlet part 123 to the bearing part 122.

[0042] It should be noted that the direction of the air outlet 123 pointing towards the support 122 can be arranged in the front-back direction as shown in the figure. The limiting structure 1212 can be a protrusion protruding rearward from the connecting part 121. When the top cover 12 is assembled with the housing assembly 20 of the refrigeration equipment 1, the protrusion can press against the rear wall of the housing assembly 20, so that a back gap is formed between the back cover 11 connected to the mounting structure 1211 and the back wall 22 of the housing assembly 20. The back gap and the top gap are connected to form a rear air duct 212.

[0043] Of course, in other embodiments, the housing of the refrigeration device 1 may also be provided with a protruding structure to replace the limiting structure 1212 or cooperate with the limiting structure 1212 to assist in forming a back gap. This application does not impose any restrictions.

[0044] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, in order to fully cool the gas, the air duct assembly 10 further includes two air guide plates 13 protruding from the support portion 122 in the direction from the bottom side portion 113 to the top side portion 112. The two air guide plates 13 are arranged at intervals and extend from the support portion 122 to the air outlet portion 123 respectively. The space between the two air guide plates 13 is used to accommodate the evaporator 30.

[0045] It should be noted that during the gas flow process, the gas can flow along the air guide plate 13 and converge around the evaporator 30, thereby making full contact with the heat exchange fins of the evaporator 30 to form cooled air, thus improving the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator 30. Simultaneously, after the fan 40 starts, the air guide plate 13 can also guide and converge the cooled air from the evaporator 30 to the fan 40, facilitating the fan 40 to blow the cooled air out from the air outlet 124. Understandably, the air guide plate 13 can be tilted from back to front to facilitate the convergence of cooled air; the shape of the air guide plate 13 is not shown in this application.

[0046] See Figure 3 During operation, the evaporator 30 generates defrost water. Therefore, a first gap 18 is provided between the bottom of the evaporator 30 and the support portion 122 to allow the defrost water to drip off the evaporator 30 and avoid affecting the evaporator 30's cooling of the gas. Understandably, the evaporator 30 can be fixed to the housing assembly 20 of the refrigeration equipment 1, thus creating a gap 18 between the bottom of the evaporator 30 and the support portion 122 of the top cover plate 12. Alternatively, the evaporator 30 can also be fixed to the support portion 122 or the air guide plate 13 via a bracket, thereby forming the first gap 18 between the bracket and the support portion 122; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0047] See Figure 2 and Figure 3In some embodiments, the top cover plate 12 is also provided with a rib 125. The rib 125 protrudes from the bottom side 113 towards the top side 112 between the bearing part 122 and the air outlet part 123. The height of the rib 125 is not less than the first spacing 18 and does not exceed the air guide plate 13.

[0048] It should be noted that the first gap 18 between the bottom of the evaporator 30 and the support portion 122 is used for dripping defrost water. If the gas in the rear air duct 212 flows from the first gap 18 to the fan 40, this gas will not have effective contact with the evaporator 30, which will affect the amount of cold air and the cooling effect. Therefore, a raised rib 125 is provided between the support portion 122 and the air outlet 123, and the raised rib 125 is higher than the first gap 18 but does not exceed the air guide plate 13. In this way, after the fan 40 is started, the raised rib 125 can be used to block the gas from passing through the first gap 18, so that the gas is completely cooled by the evaporator 30 to form cold air, and then blown to the cooling room 211 through the air outlet 124, thereby improving the cooling effect. In addition, the raised rib 125 can also be used to prevent the defrost water dripping from the evaporator 30 from flowing to the fan 40.

[0049] See Figures 2 to 4 In some embodiments, to facilitate the discharge of defrosting water dripping from the evaporator 30, the top cover plate 12 is also provided with a drainage structure 14. The water inlet 141 of the drainage structure 14 is located between the bearing part 122 and the connecting part 121, and the water outlet 142 of the drainage structure 14 is located between the limiting structure 1212 and the mounting structure 1211.

[0050] It should be noted that the drainage structure 14 can collect the defrost water dripping from the evaporator 30 to the water inlet 141 and discharge it from the water outlet 142. The water outlet 142 is located between the limiting structure 1212 and the mounting structure 1211. The water outlet 142 can be used to connect a drain pipe, which can extend within the rear air duct 212 and discharge the defrost water from the rear air duct 212. For example, the defrost water can be guided to the water collection box above the compressor and evaporated by heating.

[0051] As an example, the drainage structure 14 includes a water-blocking portion 143 protruding from the bottom side portion 113 towards the top side portion 112 between the bearing portion 122 and the connecting portion 121, and a drainage channel 144 communicating with the water-blocking portion 143. The water outlet 142 of the drainage channel 144 is disposed between the limiting structure 1212 and the mounting structure 1211.

[0052] The water-blocking part 143 intercepts the water between the bearing part 122 and the connecting part 121. The drainage channel 144 is connected to the water-blocking part 143. During the process of defrosting water flowing from the bearing part 122 to the connecting part 121, it is intercepted by the water-blocking part 143 and collected into the drainage channel 144, and then discharged through the drainage pipe connected to the outside of the drainage channel 144.

[0053] Furthermore, to facilitate the outflow of defrost water, the support portion 122 can be inclined, with the end of the support portion 122 connected to the connecting portion 121 being lower than the end of the support portion 122 connected to the air outlet portion 123 in the direction from the bottom side portion 113 to the top side portion 112. In this way, the support portion 122 is inclined downward from front to back, allowing the defrost water to flow backward with the slope of the support portion 122 and to converge into the drainage channel 144 through the water-blocking portion 143, so that the defrost water can be smoothly discharged.

[0054] In some embodiments, to facilitate the drainage of defrost water, the support portion 122 is further provided with a plurality of guide ribs 15, which extend toward the drainage structure 14. It should be noted that the defrost water can be further guided into the drainage channel 144 through the guide ribs 15 to reduce residue. The guide ribs 15 may protrude upward from the support portion 122, or they may be inclined; this application does not impose any limitations.

[0055] In some embodiments, to simplify the installation of the air duct assembly 10, the top cover 12, the air guide plate 13, and the baffle 16 may be integrally formed. Understandably, integral forming is not limited to injection molding or stamping.

[0056] See you later Figure 1 In order to cooperate with the air outlet 124 of the top cover 12 to form a circulating air supply and cooling method with air flowing out from the top front and air returning from the back rear, the opening area of ​​the return air outlet 111 on the back cover 11 gradually increases in the direction from the top side 112 to the bottom side 113.

[0057] It should be noted that when cold air is blown into the cooling chamber 211 from the air outlet 124, the cold air can cool the items in the front row and gradually descends from top to bottom. Understandably, the back cover 11 extends along the height of the cooling device 1. As the area of ​​the return air vents 111 on the back cover 11 gradually increases from top to bottom, the return air vents 111 near the bottom side 113 of the back cover 11 allow more air to flow back into the rear air duct 212 compared to the return air vents 111 near the top side 112. Therefore, the return air suction force of the return air vents 111 near the bottom side 113 is greater than that near the top side 112. This arrangement ensures that the cold air blown from the air outlet 124 can directly reach the bottom side 113, thus fully cooling the items in the front row from top to bottom, preventing the cold air from failing to descend and affecting the cooling effect on the items in the front row below.

[0058] As an example, the back cover 11 is provided with at least three layers of return air vents 111 in sequence along the direction from the top side 112 to the bottom side 113. The at least three layers of return air vents 111 include a top layer return air vent 111a, a middle layer return air vent 111b, and a bottom layer return air vent 111c. The area S1 of the top layer return air vent 111a accounts for 5% to 15% of the total area S of the at least three layers of return air vents 111, the area S2 of the middle layer return air vent 111b accounts for 20% to 35% of the total area S of the at least three layers of return air vents 111, and the area S3 of the bottom layer return air vent 111c accounts for 40% to 50% of the total area S of the at least three layers of return air vents 111.

[0059] It should be noted that at least three layers of return air vents 111 can be flexibly set according to the height of the back cover 11 or the number of shelves inside the refrigeration equipment 1, and are not limited to three layers, but can be four or five layers, etc. Furthermore, the shape and size of the return air vents 111 can be adjusted according to the actual use, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0060] To facilitate the installation of the back cover 11 and ensure that the return air vents 111 of the back cover 11 meet the return air requirements, this application provides a back cover 11 as an example. For instance, the back cover 11 has uniformly sized through holes, which are arranged in groups along the width direction of the back cover 11. Optionally, the top layer return air vent 111a may have one row of through holes, the middle layer return air vent 111b may have two rows of through holes, and the bottom layer return air vent 111c may have three rows of through holes, so that the area of ​​the return air vents 111 on the back cover 11 gradually increases from top to bottom.

[0061] In addition to the aforementioned air duct assembly 10, this application also provides a refrigeration device 1, which will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] See Figure 5 and Figure 6This application provides a refrigeration device 1, including a housing assembly 20, an evaporator 30, a fan 40, and a duct assembly 10 of any of the above embodiments. The housing assembly 20 has a mounting cavity 21 and an opening communicating with the mounting cavity 21. The housing assembly 20 includes a back wall portion 22 disposed opposite to the opening and a top wall portion 23 and a bottom wall portion 24 spaced apart along the height direction of the refrigeration device 1. The duct assembly 10 is disposed in the mounting cavity 21. A back cover plate 11 covers the back wall portion 22 and is spaced apart from the back wall portion 22, and a top cover plate 12 covers the top wall portion 23 and is spaced apart from the top wall portion 23, so as to divide the mounting cavity 21 into a refrigeration chamber 211 communicating with the opening and a rear duct 212 communicating with the refrigeration chamber 211. Evaporator 30 is installed between support part 122 and top wall part 23, fan 40 is installed between air outlet part 123 and top wall part 23, air outlet 124 and return air outlet 111 are respectively connected to cooling chamber 211. Fan 40 blows the cold air cooled by evaporator 30 into cooling chamber 211 from air outlet 124, and then draws the gas in cooling chamber 211 back to the rear air duct 212 from return air outlet 111 to exchange heat with evaporator 30.

[0063] It should be noted that the height of refrigeration equipment 1 can be along... Figure 5 The arrangement is shown in the vertical direction. The mounting cavity 21 of the housing assembly 20 can accommodate the air duct assembly 10, the evaporator 30, and the fan 40. A back gap is formed by the back cover plate 11 and the back wall portion 22, and a top gap is formed by the top cover plate 12 and the top wall portion 23. The back gap and the top gap communicate to form a rear air duct 212. The evaporator 30 is disposed between the support portion 122 of the top cover plate 12 and the top wall portion 23, and the fan 40 is disposed between the air outlet portion 123 of the top cover plate 12 and the top wall portion 23. In other words, the fan 40 is disposed in front of the evaporator 30. In this way, the fan 40 can blow the cold air generated by the evaporator 30 into the cooling chamber 211 from the upper air outlet 124, and then draw the air in the cooling chamber 211 into the rear air duct 212 from the rear return air outlet 111 to continue to be cooled by the evaporator 30 to form cold air, and then discharge the cold air again from the air outlet 124, forming a circulating air supply cooling method with air discharged from the top front and air returned from the back rear.

[0064] Thus, the refrigeration device 1 provided in this application can achieve the effect of cooling the front items first by improving the air delivery path of the cold air. Furthermore, the refrigeration device 1 provided in this application does not require additional expansion of the volume of the evaporator 30 and / or the fan 40, and can achieve rapid cooling of the front items without reducing the volume of the refrigeration device 1.

[0065] See Figure 6In some embodiments, a second gap 70 is provided between the evaporator 30 and the fan 40 in the direction from the air outlet 123 to the support 122. It should be noted that the fan 40 can be a cross-flow fan 40, and the second gap 70 is used to meet the air intake distance of the fan 40, avoiding the evaporator 30 and the fan 40 being installed too close or too far apart, which would affect the release of cold air. As an example, the second gap 70 is set to 5cm to 20cm, including any value between 5cm and 20cm, and also including both 5cm and 20cm. Of course, the second gap 70 can also be set according to the specific dimensions of the refrigeration equipment 1 and the requirements of different specifications of the fan 40; this application does not impose any limitations.

[0066] See Figure 6 In some embodiments, the refrigeration device 1 further includes a door assembly 50 and a shelf assembly 60. The door assembly 50 is movably connected to the housing assembly 20 and covers the opening. The shelf assembly 60 is installed in the refrigeration chamber 211 and spaced apart from the door assembly 50 to form a front air duct 213. The cold air blown into the refrigeration chamber 211 by the fan 40 from the air outlet 124 can sink down to the bottom side 113 along the front air duct 213.

[0067] It should be noted that the shelf assembly 60 is used to hold items such as beverages, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The shelf assembly 60 is shorter in the front-to-back direction than the shell assembly 20 in the same direction, allowing for a gap between the shelf assembly 60 and the door assembly 50, thus forming a front air duct 213. Simultaneously, air outlets 124 can be positioned within the front air duct 213. This arrangement allows the cold air exhausted from the outlets 124 to descend along the front air duct 213 to the bottom side 113, ensuring full contact with the items in the front row from top to bottom, achieving first-come, first-served cooling for the front row. Furthermore, with the outlets 124 positioned between two adjacent shelf assemblies 60, as the cold air is drawn back to the rear air duct 212 through the return air vent 111, it also exchanges heat with the items on each shelf, maintaining the cooling effect for the items in the rear row while ensuring first-come, first-served cooling for the front row. In addition, since the items in the back row usually stay in the refrigeration equipment 1 for a long time and are relatively far from the door assembly 50, whenever the gas in the refrigeration chamber 211 is drawn back from the return air vent 111 of the back cover 11, the items in the back row can continuously exchange heat to maintain the refrigeration effect and thus balance the temperature difference between the front row and the back row.

[0068] Furthermore, when cold air is blown into the cooling room 211 from the air outlet 124 along the front air duct 213, the airflow path is an arc-shaped airflow from top to bottom and from front to back, due to the return air inlet 111 provided on the back cover 11 (e.g., Figure 6 The arrows shown represent the arc-shaped airflow of the cold air, which prevents the cold air from blowing towards the door assembly 50, thereby preventing the cold air from condensing on the door assembly 50.

[0069] See Figure 6 In some embodiments, the bottom side 113 of the back cover 11 may be spaced apart from the bottom wall 24 of the housing assembly 20. That is, the bottom side 113 of the back cover 11 does not abut against the bottom wall 24 of the housing assembly 20. With this arrangement, the gap between the bottom side 113 of the back cover 11 and the bottom wall 24 of the housing assembly 20 also acts as a return air vent 111, thereby further increasing the return flow of cold air below, allowing the cold air to sink sufficiently and cool the items in front.

[0070] Understandably, the refrigeration equipment 1 also includes other structures such as a compressor, condenser, and throttling components that cooperate with the evaporator 30 to deliver refrigerant, which will not be described in detail in this application.

[0071] The technical solutions or features described in the above embodiments can be combined or complemented by each other without conflict. The scope of protection of this application is not limited to the precise structures described in the above embodiments and shown in the accompanying drawings. All modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A duct assembly for use in refrigeration equipment, characterized in that, include: A back cover has a top side portion and a bottom side portion spaced apart along the height direction of the back cover, and the back cover also has return air vents distributed between the top side portion and the bottom side portion; and The top cover includes a connecting part connected to the top side, a supporting part connected to the connecting part, and an air outlet connected to the supporting part. The connecting part, the supporting part, and the air outlet are arranged sequentially along the thickness direction of the back cover. The air outlet is provided with an air outlet. The supporting part is used to install the evaporator of the refrigeration equipment, and the air outlet part is used to install the fan of the refrigeration equipment, so that the fan blows the cold air after heat exchange through the evaporator out from the air outlet and then draws it back from the air return port.

2. The air duct assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting part has a mounting structure protruding along the direction from the top side to the bottom side. The mounting structure is connected to the top side. The side of the bearing part facing away from the mounting structure is used to install the evaporator. The side of the air outlet part facing away from the mounting structure is used to install the fan.

3. The air duct assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The air duct assembly further includes two air guide plates protruding from the support portion along the direction from the bottom side portion to the top side portion. The two air guide plates are arranged at intervals and extend along the support portion to the air outlet portion respectively. The space between the two air guide plates is used to accommodate the evaporator, and a first gap is provided between the bottom of the evaporator and the support portion.

4. The air duct assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The top cover plate is also provided with a rib, which protrudes from the bottom side to the top side between the bearing part and the air outlet part. The height of the rib is not lower than the first spacing and does not exceed the air guide plate.

5. The air duct assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The top cover plate is also provided with a drainage structure. The connecting part is provided with a limiting structure protruding in the direction from the air outlet to the bearing part. The water inlet of the drainage structure is located between the bearing part and the connecting part, and the water outlet of the drainage structure is located between the limiting structure and the mounting structure.

6. The air duct assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drainage structure includes a water-blocking part protruding from the bottom side towards the top side between the bearing part and the connecting part, and a drainage channel communicating with the water-blocking part. The outlet end of the drainage channel is located between the limiting structure and the mounting structure.

7. The air duct assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The supporting part is inclined, and in the direction from the bottom side to the top side, the end of the supporting part connected to the connecting part is lower than the end of the supporting part connected to the air outlet part; And / or, the supporting part is further provided with a plurality of guide ribs, which extend toward the drainage structure.

8. The air duct assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the direction from the top side to the bottom side, the opening area of ​​the return air vent gradually increases, and / or the number of the return air vents gradually increases.

9. The air duct assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The back cover plate is provided with at least three layers of return air vents in sequence along the direction from the top side to the bottom side. The at least three layers of return air vents include a top layer return air vent, a middle layer return air vent, and a bottom layer return air vent. The area S1 of the top layer return air vent accounts for 5% to 15% of the total area S of the at least three layers of return air vents, the area S2 of the middle layer return air vent accounts for 20% to 35% of the total area S of the at least three layers of return air vents, and the area S3 of the bottom layer return air vent accounts for 40% to 50% of the total area S of the at least three layers of return air vents.

10. The air duct assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The air duct assembly further includes a baffle plate, which protrudes from the top cover plate along the bottom side towards the top side. The baffle plate and the top cover plate form a receiving cavity, which is used to accommodate the evaporator and fan of the refrigeration equipment. The return air port and the air outlet are respectively connected to the receiving cavity.

11. A refrigeration device, characterized in that, The device includes a housing assembly, an evaporator, a fan, and a duct assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 10; the housing assembly has a mounting cavity and an opening communicating with the mounting cavity, the housing assembly includes a back wall portion disposed opposite to the opening and a top wall portion and a bottom wall portion spaced apart along the height direction of the refrigeration device; the duct assembly is disposed within the mounting cavity, a back cover plate covers the back wall portion and is spaced apart from the back wall portion, and a top cover plate covers the top wall portion and is spaced apart from the top wall portion, so as to divide the mounting cavity into a refrigeration chamber communicating with the opening and a rear duct communicating with the refrigeration chamber; The evaporator is installed between the support portion and the top wall portion, and the fan is installed between the air outlet portion and the top wall portion. The air outlet and the air return port are respectively connected to the refrigeration chamber. The fan blows the cold air cooled by the evaporator into the refrigeration chamber from the air outlet, and then draws the gas in the refrigeration chamber back to the rear air duct from the air return port to exchange heat with the evaporator.

12. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 11, characterized in that, A second gap is provided between the evaporator and the fan in the direction from the air outlet to the bearing, the second gap being set to 5cm to 20cm.

13. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The refrigeration equipment also includes a door assembly and a shelf assembly. The door assembly is movably connected to the housing assembly and covers the opening. The shelf assembly is installed in the refrigeration chamber and spaced apart from the door assembly to form a front air duct. The cold air blown into the refrigeration chamber from the air outlet can sink down to the bottom side along the front air duct.

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