A heat management device and a refrigerator
By setting up a defrosting heating element and a phase change energy storage structure on the water tray at the bottom of the evaporator, the phase change material absorbs heat, solving the problem of secondary evaporation of defrosting water and achieving the effect of reducing heat damage and defrosting water waste.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TCL HOME APPLIANCES (HEFEI) CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-16
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, the amount of defrost water in the drip tray evaporates significantly during defrosting of the evaporator, resulting in a rapid temperature rise and causing thermal damage and waste of defrost water.
A defrosting heating element is installed on the lower side of the evaporator, and a phase change energy storage structure is installed on the water receiving pan. The phase change material absorbs heat, slows down the temperature rise rate, and reduces the secondary evaporation of defrosting water.
By absorbing heat through a phase change energy storage structure, the secondary evaporation of defrost water is reduced, thermal shock damage to the evaporator is decreased, defrosting efficiency is improved, and defrost water waste is reduced.
Smart Images
Figure CN224365153U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of refrigerator technology, and particularly to thermal management devices and refrigerators. Background Technology
[0002] Refrigerators rely on an evaporator to provide cooling to the compartments. The evaporator surface is prone to frost buildup. In existing technology, a heating element is installed under the evaporator to heat it and defrost it. The defrost water drips onto a drip tray. However, the heating element heats the evaporator rapidly, resulting in a large amount of secondary evaporation of the defrost water on the drip tray. Utility Model Content
[0003] The main objective of this application is to address the technical problem of large secondary evaporation of defrost water on the drip tray in a thermal management device and refrigerator.
[0004] In a first aspect, this application proposes a thermal management device, comprising:
[0005] Evaporator, used to supply cooling to the refrigerator's cooling compartment;
[0006] A defrosting heating element is provided on the lower side of the evaporator;
[0007] A drip tray, located below the evaporator, for collecting defrost water from the evaporator; and
[0008] A phase change energy storage structure is disposed on the water receiving pan.
[0009] Optionally, the water receiving tray includes a tray body and a side extending from the tray body toward the evaporator;
[0010] The phase change energy storage structure is located on the inner side of the side.
[0011] Optionally, the phase change energy storage structure includes a first substrate, a phase change layer, and a second substrate; the phase change layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; wherein the first substrate is disposed on the inner side.
[0012] Optionally, the phase change energy storage structure further includes an isolation layer disposed between the phase change layer and the second substrate.
[0013] Optionally, the surface of the second substrate is formed with trenches, the trenches extending in a vertical direction; and / or
[0014] The phase change energy storage structure also includes a hydrophobic coating, which is disposed on the surface of the second substrate.
[0015] Optionally, the phase change layer is a solid phase change layer; and / or the thickness of the phase change layer is 3-5 mm.
[0016] Optionally, the phase change energy storage structure is positioned directly opposite the defrosting heating element.
[0017] Optionally, the evaporator includes a side plate extending toward the water tray and welded to the side of the water tray; and the weld between the side plate and the side extends vertically.
[0018] Optionally, the evaporator includes an evaporator body, the side plate is connected to the evaporator body, and the side plate extends out of the evaporator body; the vertically extending edge of the side plate is welded to the side to form the weld.
[0019] Secondly, this application also proposes a refrigerator that includes the thermal management device as described above.
[0020] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, the thermal management component is applied to a refrigerator; wherein, the evaporator of the thermal management component is used to supply cooling to the refrigerator's cooling compartment; during the cooling process, frost forms on the surface of the evaporator, therefore, a defrosting heating element is set on the lower side of the evaporator to defrost the evaporator, and the defrosting water is collected by a drip tray; after the defrosting heating element starts defrosting, the frost layer on the evaporator is heated and melts, and the defrosting water drips into the drip tray; after the heating element starts heating, the phase change energy storage structure begins to absorb heat, slowing down the temperature rise rate, thereby reducing the secondary evaporation of defrosting water. Attached Figure Description
[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art 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 the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.
[0022] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal management device provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 1 ;
[0023] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal management device provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 2 ;
[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the phase change energy storage structure provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ;
[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the phase change energy storage structure provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ;
[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the surface structure of the phase change energy storage structure provided in the embodiments of this application;
[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of a portion of point A in the middle;
[0028] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal management device provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 3 ;
[0029] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of section B in the middle.
[0030] List of reference numerals
[0031] 110 Evaporator 142 Phase change layer 120 Defrosting heating element 143 Second substrate 130 Water tray 144 isolation layer 140 Phase change energy storage structure 1431 trench 131 side 111 Evaporator body 132 Disk body 112 Side panel 141 First substrate Detailed Implementation
[0032] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0033] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.
[0034] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixation," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixation" can mean welding, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.
[0035] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this application involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the meaning of "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions; for example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.
[0036] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this application provides a thermal management device, including:
[0037] Evaporator 110 is used to supply cooling to the refrigerator's cooling compartment;
[0038] A defrosting heating element 120 is provided on the lower side of the evaporator 110;
[0039] A drip tray 130, located below the evaporator 110, is used to collect defrost water from the evaporator 110; and
[0040] Phase change energy storage structure 140 is disposed on the water receiving pan 130.
[0041] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, the thermal management component is applied to a refrigerator; wherein, the evaporator 110 of the thermal management component is used to supply cooling to the refrigerator's cooling compartment; during the cooling process, frost forms on the surface of the evaporator 110, therefore, a defrosting heating element 120 is provided on the lower side of the evaporator 110 to defrost the evaporator 110, and the defrosting water is collected by the drip tray 130; after the defrosting heating element 120 starts defrosting, the frost layer on the evaporator 110 is heated and melts, and the defrosting water drips into the drip tray 130; after the heating element starts heating, the phase change energy storage structure 140 begins to absorb heat, slowing down the temperature rise rate, thereby reducing the secondary evaporation of defrosting water.
[0042] Furthermore, the phase change energy storage structure 140 can reduce thermal shock damage to the evaporator 110; after the heating element starts heating, the phase change energy storage structure 140 begins to absorb heat, slowing down the temperature rise rate and preventing the temperature from rising too quickly, thereby reducing thermal damage to the evaporator 110. In addition, the phase change energy storage structure 140 also helps to reduce fluctuations in the surface temperature of the evaporator 110.
[0043] In some embodiments, the phase change energy storage structure 140 is filled with a phase change material. A phase change material is a material that can absorb or release a large amount of latent heat through a phase change (such as solid-liquid, solid-solid, solid-gas, or liquid-gas phase change) within a specific temperature range, thereby achieving energy storage and release. For example, phase change materials include paraffin wax and expanded graphite. Paraffin wax and expanded graphite are combined in a certain mass ratio (e.g., 7:3, 5:1, etc.), with the phase change temperature of paraffin wax being 45-55°C and the porosity of expanded graphite being 90-93%. When the heating element is heated to 45°C, the phase change material begins to absorb heat; the phase change material continuously absorbs heat to maintain the interface temperature at 50±2°C, thus slowing down the temperature rise rate and reducing secondary evaporation of defrost water. When the compressor restarts, the heating element is turned off, and the phase change material releases the stored heat, preventing condensation on the surface of the evaporator 110.
[0044] In other embodiments, the phase change material may also be other types of phase change materials, such as hydrated salt phase change materials (sodium sulfate decahydrate or calcium chloride hexahydrate), fatty acid phase change materials (lauric acid, eutectic composition of lauric acid and myristic acid), and combinations of fatty acids and expanded graphite (lauric acid / expanded graphite composite phase change materials), etc.
[0045] In this embodiment, the defrosting heating element 120 is a heating wire, which is disposed between the drip tray 130 and the evaporator 110. The relative positions and assembly structures of the heating wire, drip tray 130, and evaporator 110 can all adopt existing technologies, and therefore will not be described in detail. In the technical solution of this application, the phase change energy storage structure 140 is disposed on the evaporator 110. For example, a mounting bracket is provided on the drip tray 130 to fix the phase change energy storage structure 140 to the mounting bracket. Alternatively, the phase change energy storage structure 140 can be directly installed on the drip tray 130.
[0046] As an optional implementation of the above embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the water receiving tray 130 includes a tray body 132 and a side 131 extending from the tray body 132 toward the evaporator 110; the phase change energy storage structure 140 is disposed on the inner side of the side 131. The tray body 132 is used to collect defrost water. The structure of the tray body 132 can adopt an existing structure. In the embodiments of this application, the water receiving tray 130 also has a side 131 extending from the tray body 132 toward the evaporator 110, and the phase change energy storage structure 140 is disposed on the inner side of the side 131. The defrost heating element 120 is disposed between the evaporator 110 and the water receiving tray 130, and the side 131 extends toward the evaporator 110, and the phase change energy storage structure 140 is disposed on the inner side of the side 131, thus close to the defrost heating element 120, which helps the phase change energy storage structure 140 absorb heat.
[0047] As an optional implementation of the above embodiments, such as Figure 3As shown, the phase change energy storage structure 140 includes a first substrate 141, a phase change layer 142, and a second substrate 143; the phase change layer 142 is disposed between the first substrate 141 and the second substrate 143; wherein, the first substrate 141 is disposed on the inner side. In an embodiment, the phase change energy storage structure 140 includes a first substrate 141, a phase change layer 142, and a second substrate 143; the phase change layer 142 is disposed between the first substrate 141 and the second substrate 143, and is sealed by the first substrate 141 and the second substrate 143.
[0048] In some embodiments, the first substrate 141 is disposed on the inner side surface, for example, it can be adhered to the inner side surface.
[0049] In some other embodiments, a phase change layer 142 extends from the first substrate 141, and an extension segment is formed on one side of the phase change energy storage structure 140. A connection portion is formed on this extension segment, and the connection portion is fixed to the side 131 by a connector. For example, the connection portion is a threaded hole.
[0050] In this embodiment, the phase change layer 142 is made of existing phase change materials, such as a solid phase change layer 142 comprising expanded graphite and paraffin wax. The expanded graphite and paraffin wax are uniformly mixed in a certain mass ratio to form the phase change layer 142, which is then encapsulated by a first substrate 141 and a second substrate 143. For example, in some embodiments, a receiving space is formed between the first substrate 141 and the second substrate 143, and this receiving space is filled with the phase change layer 142.
[0051] In some embodiments, the first substrate 141 is made of an alumina substrate, and the second substrate 143 is made of a metal plate (such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy) with thermal conductivity. For example, the alumina substrate and the metal plate are welded together to form a receiving space, which is filled with a phase change layer 142.
[0052] As an optional implementation of the above embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the phase change energy storage structure 140 further includes an isolation layer 144, which is disposed between the phase change layer 142 and the second substrate 143. In an embodiment, the isolation layer 144 is made of fluororubber gasket, which has the functions of sealing and vibration damping. During defrosting, defrosting water may adhere to the phase change energy storage structure 140; therefore, the isolation layer 144 is provided to prevent water from entering. Furthermore, the phase change layer 142 within the phase change energy storage structure 140 undergoes volume changes during the phase change process, so the isolation layer 144 can also accommodate these volume changes.
[0053] As an optional implementation of the above embodiments, combined with Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the surface of the second substrate 143 is formed with grooves 1431, and the grooves 1431 extend in a vertical direction. And / or the phase change energy storage structure 140 further includes a hydrophobic coating, which is disposed on the surface of the second substrate 143. During defrosting, defrost water may adhere to the phase change energy storage structure 140. In this embodiment, the grooves 1431 and / or the hydrophobic coating facilitate the flow of defrost water to the tray 132 of the water receiving pan 130, reducing or preventing condensate from adhering to the surface of the phase change energy storage structure 140.
[0054] In one embodiment, the grooves 1431 extend vertically and are spaced laterally.
[0055] In this embodiment, the hydrophobic coating can be formed by applying an existing hydrophobic coating to the surface of the second substrate 143.
[0056] As an optional implementation of the above embodiments, the phase change layer 142 is a solid phase change layer 142; and / or the thickness of the phase change layer 142 is 3-5 mm. In the embodiments, the phase change layer 142 is a solid phase change layer 142, with paraffin wax and expanded graphite being particularly preferred embodiments. The thickness of the phase change layer 142 is mainly determined based on the surface area of the evaporator 110, and is set between 3-5 mm, such as 3.5 mm, 4 mm, or 4.5 mm.
[0057] In some embodiments, the thickness of the first substrate 141 is 0.6-1.0 mm, for example, 0.8 mm. The thickness of the insulating layer 144 is 1.0-1.5 mm, for example, 1.2 mm. The thickness of the second substrate 143 is 1-2 mm, for example, 1.5 mm.
[0058] As an optional implementation of the above embodiments, combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the phase change energy storage structure 140 is positioned directly opposite the defrosting heating element 120. In some embodiments, the defrosting heating element 120 is disposed within the space defined by the evaporator 110 and the drip tray 130, and the phase change energy storage structure 140 is also disposed within this space, with the phase change energy storage structure 140 maintaining a certain distance from the defrosting heating element 120. The heat generated by the heating element radiates into this space and is absorbed by the phase change energy storage structure 140, slowing down the temperature rise rate of this space.
[0059] In some embodiments, the defrosting heating element 120 can be arranged in a serpentine pattern from the water receiving tray 130 and extend toward the evaporator 110. A side 131 extends from the tray body 132 of the water receiving tray 130 toward the evaporator 110, and the phase change energy storage structure 140 is disposed on the inner side of the side 131, thus positioning the phase change energy storage structure 140 directly opposite the defrosting heating element 120. The phase change energy storage structure 140 and the defrosting heating element 120 are spaced apart and opposite to each other in the front-to-back direction.
[0060] Furthermore, in existing technology, the evaporator 110 is fixed only by screws on the upper two sides, and its lower part usually tilts outward, causing the heating wire below to not be directly above the hole in the water tray 130. Therefore, in conjunction with... Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, in an optional embodiment of the above example, the evaporator 110 includes a side plate 112 extending toward the water receiving tray 130 and welded to the side edge 131 of the water receiving tray 130. In this embodiment, the evaporator 110 and the water receiving tray 130 are welded together, and the weld between the side plate 112 and the side edge 131 extends vertically, so as to integrate the evaporator 110 and the water receiving tray 130, which helps to improve the accuracy of the spatial position of the heating wire and the water receiving tray 130.
[0061] As an optional embodiment of the above embodiments, the evaporator 110 includes an evaporator body 111, and a side plate 112 is connected to the evaporator body 111, with the side plate 112 extending beyond the evaporator body 111. The edge of the side plate 112 extending vertically is welded to the side edge 131 to form the weld. In this embodiment, the side plate 112 of the evaporator 110 is used to fix the heat exchange tubes on the evaporator body 111. The side plate 112 also extends beyond the evaporator body 111, and the edge of the side plate 112 extending vertically is welded to the side edge 131 to form the weld, thereby integrating the evaporator 110 and the water tray 130 into a single unit, which helps to improve the accuracy of the spatial position of the heating wire and the water tray 130.
[0062] Based on the above embodiments, this application also proposes a refrigerator that includes the thermal management device described in the above embodiments.
[0063] In some embodiments, the refrigerator includes a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment. The refrigerator can be a single-system refrigerator, i.e., one evaporator 110 supplies cooling to both the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment.
[0064] The refrigerator can also be a dual-system refrigerator, which includes two evaporators 110: one for refrigeration and one for freezing. In this dual-system refrigerator, the refrigeration evaporator 110 supplies cooling to the refrigeration compartment, and the freezing evaporator 110 supplies cooling to the freezer compartment. This dual-system refrigerator includes two thermal management devices: during defrosting of both the refrigeration and freezing evaporators 110, a phase change energy storage structure 140 absorbs heat to slow down the temperature rise, thereby preventing thermal damage to the refrigeration and freezing evaporators 110 and reducing secondary evaporation of defrost water.
[0065] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the content of the specification and drawings of this application under the concept of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of this application.
Claims
1. A thermal management device, characterized in that, include: Evaporator, used to supply cooling to the refrigerator's cooling compartment; A defrosting heating element is provided on the lower side of the evaporator; A drip tray is provided on the lower side of the evaporator to collect defrost water from the evaporator. as well as A phase change energy storage structure is disposed on the water receiving pan.
2. The thermal management device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The water receiving tray includes a tray body and a side extending from the tray body toward the evaporator; The phase change energy storage structure is located on the inner side of the side.
3. The thermal management device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The phase change energy storage structure includes a first substrate, a phase change layer, and a second substrate; the phase change layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; wherein the first substrate is disposed on the inner side.
4. The thermal management device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The phase change energy storage structure further includes an isolation layer disposed between the phase change layer and the second substrate.
5. The thermal management device as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The surface of the second substrate is formed with trenches, the trenches extending in a vertical direction; and / or The phase change energy storage structure also includes a hydrophobic coating, which is disposed on the surface of the second substrate.
6. The thermal management device as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The phase change layer is a solid phase change layer; and / or the thickness of the phase change layer is 3-5 mm.
7. The thermal management device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The phase change energy storage structure is positioned directly opposite the defrosting heating element.
8. The thermal management device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The evaporator includes a side plate that extends toward the water receiving tray and is welded to the side of the water receiving tray; and the weld between the side plate and the side extends vertically.
9. The thermal management device as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that, The evaporator includes an evaporator body, a side plate connected to the evaporator body, and the side plate extending out of the evaporator body; the vertically extending edge of the side plate is welded to the side to form the weld.
10. A refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes a thermal management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.