Air deflector guard for an evaporator and refrigerator comprising the same
By designing a flow-guiding and protective device in the freezer to direct condensation and defrost water to the water guide channel, the problems of condensation on the evaporator surface and defrost water dripping are solved, achieving convenience in protection and cleaning.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- QINGDAO HIRON COMML COLD CHAIN
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-07
AI Technical Summary
In existing freezers, condensation easily forms and drips from the evaporator surface, causing frost buildup and making defrosting water difficult to clean, thus affecting the user experience.
Design a flow guiding and protection device, including a top cover, a front cover and a water guide channel. The condensate and defrost water are guided to the water guide channel by the inclined surface design and the bent protective rod, so as to achieve rapid discharge.
It effectively reduces frost buildup on the evaporator surface, simplifies the defrosting water cleaning process, and improves the ease of use of the freezer.
Smart Images
Figure CN224470556U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of refrigeration and freezing equipment, and particularly relates to a flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator and a freezer including the same. Background Technology
[0002] In a freezer's refrigeration system, the evaporator is one of the core components, typically located inside the cabinet to provide cold air. To prevent users from being burned by the low temperature of the evaporator surface and to prevent frost from forming on the evaporator fins, a protective mesh is usually installed on the side of the evaporator facing inwards, while protective covers are installed on the other sides. The protective covers are integrated with the protective mesh, forming a protective structure that encloses the evaporator against the inner wall of the cabinet. However, with this protective structure, moisture easily condenses on the top surface of the protective cover and the front protective mesh. The condensate then drips down the mesh into the cabinet, easily forming frost on the mesh or inside the cabinet. Furthermore, defrosting water flows directly into the cabinet during defrosting, making cleaning inconvenient. Therefore, how to provide a flow-guiding and protective device suitable for evaporators that combines flow guidance and protection is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved. Utility Model Content
[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model provides a flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator and a refrigerator including the same. While providing protection, the flow guiding and protection device can guide the condensation on the surface into a water guiding channel to reduce frost formation. It can also guide the defrost water generated during defrosting into the water guiding channel and discharge it, making it easy to clean up the defrost water.
[0004] This utility model provides a flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator, which is installed outside the evaporator and includes:
[0005] The top cover is installed on the top of the evaporator. Its top surface is sloping, with the front lower than the back, to guide the water on the top surface of the top cover to the front of the top cover.
[0006] The front cover, installed in front of the evaporator, includes a cover body located in front of the bottom of the evaporator and a protective net installed between the top of the cover body and the front end of the top cover; the protective net includes multiple vertically arranged protective rods and a first connecting rib for connecting the multiple protective rods into one piece; the top of the protective rods contacts the front end of the top cover to guide the water collected at the front end of the top cover to the protective rods; the cover body is located in front of the protective rods, and the bottom end of the protective rods is bent and connected to the cover body, the bent part of the bottom end of the protective rods is inclined with the front higher and the back lower to collect the water guided by the protective rods at the bending angle formed by the bend;
[0007] The water guide trough is used to collect water dripping from the bend of the protective rod and water dripping from the evaporator during defrosting. It is installed on the rear side of the front cover and located below the protective net and the evaporator, and it has a drain outlet.
[0008] In this technical solution, by setting the top surface of the top cover as an inclined plane and making the top of the protective rod of the front cover's protective net contact the front end of the top cover, the condensation on the top surface of the top cover can be guided to the protective rod, preventing frost from forming on the top surface of the top cover. Furthermore, the bending design at the bottom of the protective rod allows the water guided by the protective rod to collect at the bend and fall into the water guide groove, instead of flowing onto the front cover and into the cabinet, thus preventing frost from forming on the cover surface or inside the cabinet. During defrosting, the protective rod can also guide the generated defrosting water to the water guide groove and discharge it. Defrosting water dripping from the evaporator surface during defrosting also falls into the water guide groove and discharges, preventing defrosting water from flowing into the cabinet and facilitating the cleaning of defrosting water. In addition, by surrounding the evaporator with the top cover, front cover, and water guide groove, both the water guide and protective functions are achieved.
[0009] In some embodiments, the front end of the top cover is bent downwards to form a front folded edge, and the front side of the top of the protective rod abuts against the front folded edge. In this technical solution, the front folded edge helps to prevent condensation from accumulating at the front end of the top cover; at the same time, the abutment between the front side of the top of the protective rod and the front folded edge of the top cover simplifies the connection between the front protective net and the top cover while ensuring the drainage effect, making installation easier.
[0010] In some embodiments, the first connecting rib is connected to the rear side of the protective rod and is positioned near the top of the protective rod. In this technical solution, positioning the first connecting rib at the rear side of the protective rod avoids affecting the drainage effect of the protective rod.
[0011] In some embodiments, an inner cover is installed in the space between the top cover and the top of the evaporator. The inner cover is connected to the top of the evaporator, and the top cover snaps into the inner cover. A mounting groove for inserting the tip of the protective rod is formed between the front folded edge of the top cover and the front end of the inner cover. In this technical solution, the inner cover achieves a stable connection between the top cover and the top of the evaporator; at the same time, the mounting groove formed by the cooperation between the front folded edge of the top cover and the front end of the inner cover enables the limiting installation of the protective net.
[0012] In some embodiments, the rear side of the top of the protective rod abuts against the front side of the inner cover. In this technical solution, by having the front side of the inner cover abut against the rear side of the top of the protective rod, the front side of the protective rod can be tightly abutted against the front folded edge of the top cover, ensuring a stable drainage effect.
[0013] In some embodiments, the bending angle is 60°~85°. In this technical solution, by setting the bending angle α within a suitable range, the water guided by the protective rod can quickly gather and drip at the bending angle α, avoiding excessive dispersion or stagnation of the guided water at the bottom of the protective rod.
[0014] In some embodiments, the water guide channel is inclined at one end and lower at the other in the left-right direction, with the drain outlet located at the lower end. In this technical solution, the inclined arrangement of the water guide channel facilitates water drainage.
[0015] In some embodiments, the bottom of the water guiding channel slopes from the front and rear sides towards the center to form a "V" shape, and the drain outlet is located at the lowest point of the "V" shaped bottom. In this technical solution, the use of a "V" shaped bottom allows water to collect in the center of the water guiding channel and then be discharged from the drain outlet.
[0016] In some embodiments, the water guide channel is connected to the bottom of the evaporator via a connector. In this technical solution, the connector ensures the connection between the water guide channel and the bottom of the evaporator, guaranteeing stable installation of the water guide channel.
[0017] In addition, this utility model also provides a freezer, including a cabinet body, a storage cavity formed inside the cabinet body, an evaporator installed inside the storage cavity, and a flow guiding and protection device for the evaporator as described in any of the above technical solutions installed outside the evaporator.
[0018] Based on the above technical solution, the flow guiding and protection device for evaporators provided in this utility model embodiment can, while playing a protective function, guide the condensation condensed on the top surface of the top cover and the condensation condensed on the protective rod into the set water guide groove, thereby reducing frost formation inside the cabinet. It can also guide the defrost water generated during defrosting into the set water guide groove and discharge it, making it easy to clean the defrost water. Attached Figure Description
[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description thereof, serve to explain the present invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings:
[0020] Figure 1 A perspective view of a flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator provided in one embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] Figure 2 A front view of a flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator provided in one embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] Figure 3 A perspective view of a flow guiding and protective device for an evaporator provided in an embodiment of the present invention after the front cover has been removed;
[0023] Figure 4 A front view of a flow guide and protection device for an evaporator provided in one embodiment of the present invention after the front cover has been removed;
[0024] Figure 5 For along Figure 2 Sectional view of line AA in the middle;
[0025] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A magnified view of a section at point C;
[0026] Figure 7 for Figure 5 A magnified view of a section at point D;
[0027] Figure 8 for Figure 3 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;
[0028] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of a freezer provided in one embodiment of the present invention.
[0029] In the picture:
[0030] 1. Evaporator; 2. Flow protection device; 3. Cabinet;
[0031] 21. Top cover; 211. Front folded edge; 22. Inner cover; 23. Front cover; 231. Protective net; 2311. Protective rod; 2312. First connecting rib; 2313. Second connecting rib; 232. Cover body; 24. Water guide channel; 241. Drain outlet; 25. Connector;
[0032] α, bending angle; a, bending portion; b, mounting groove. Detailed Implementation
[0033] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model 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 utility model, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.
[0034] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.
[0035] 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. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.
[0036] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.
[0037] When evaporator 1 is installed inside a freezer, cold air is typically delivered to the storage chamber of the cabinet 3 from one side of evaporator 1. Therefore, the side of evaporator 1 that delivers cold air is considered the front side. To maximize the heat exchange area, the width of evaporator 1 is typically its front-to-back direction, and its length is its left-to-right direction. (See attached diagram) Figures 1-7 As shown in an illustrative embodiment of the flow guiding and protection device 2 for an evaporator according to this utility model, the flow guiding and protection device 2 is installed outside the evaporator 1. The flow guiding and protection device 2 includes a top cover 21, a front cover 23, and a water guide trough 24. The top cover 21 covers the top of the evaporator 1, and its top surface is arranged with a slope that is lower in the front and higher in the back to guide the water located on the top surface of the top cover 21 to the front end of the top cover 21. The front cover 23 is installed in front of the evaporator 1, and includes a cover body 232 located in front of the bottom of the evaporator 1 and a protective net 231 installed between the top of the cover body 232 and the front end of the top cover 21. The protective net 231 includes multiple vertically arranged protective rods 2311 and a connection for connecting the multiple protective rods 2311. The first connecting rib 2312 is integrated with the protective rod 2311; the top end of the protective rod 2311 contacts the front end of the top cover 21 to guide the water collected at the front end of the top cover 21 to the protective rod 2311; the cover body 232 is located in front of the protective rod 2311, and the bottom end of the protective rod 2311 is bent and connected to the cover body 232. The bent part a at the bottom end of the protective rod 2311 is inclined with the front higher and the back lower to collect the water guided by the protective rod 2311 at the bending angle α formed by the bend; the water guide trough 24 is used to collect the water dripping from the bending angle α of the protective rod 2311 and the water dripping from the evaporator 1 during defrosting. It is installed on the rear side of the cover body 232 of the front cover 23 and is located below the protective net 231 and the evaporator 1. It has a drain outlet 241.
[0038] The aforementioned flow guiding and protection device 2 for the evaporator operates on the following principle: the top surface of the top cover 21 is sloped, allowing condensation to collect at the front end of the top cover 21; through the contact between the top of the protective rod 2311 of the protective net 231 of the front cover 23 and the front end of the top cover 21, the water collected at the front end of the top cover 21 is guided to the protective rod 2311; since the protective rod 2311 is vertically arranged, the water collected at the front end of the top cover 21 is guided to the protective rod 2311; The condensation on 2311 and the water diverted therefrom continue to flow downwards along the protective rod 2311. Because the bottom of the protective rod 2311 is bent at an angle α, the water diverted by the protective rod 2311 collects at the angle α, preventing it from flowing further onto the cover 232 of the front cover 23. As more water accumulates at the angle α, it forms droplets, which then drip into the lower water guide trough 24, thus preventing condensation from forming on the cover 232 or flowing into the cabinet and frost. Even if the protective rod 2311 fails to divert the condensation in time, causing frost to form on the protective rod 2311, the defrosting water generated during defrosting can collect at the angle α and drip into the water guide trough 24. Simultaneously, defrosting water dripping from the surface of the evaporator 1 during defrosting also falls into the water guide trough 24. The water in the water guide trough 24 is discharged through the drain outlet 241, preventing defrosting water from flowing into the cabinet and causing cleaning inconvenience.
[0039] The aforementioned flow guiding and protection device 2 for the evaporator, by setting the top surface of the top cover 21 as an inclined surface and making the top end of the protective rod 2311 of the protective net 231 of the front cover 23 contact the front end of the top cover 21, can guide the condensation on the top surface of the top cover 21 to the protective rod 2311, preventing frost from forming on the top surface of the top cover 21; furthermore, through the bending design at the bottom end of the protective rod 2311, the water guided by the protective rod 2311 can be collected at the bending angle α and fall into the water guide trough 24, instead of flowing onto the cover 232 of the front cover 23 and into the cabinet, thus preventing frost from forming on the surface of the cover 232 or inside the cabinet; during defrosting, the protective rod 2311 can also guide the generated defrosting water to the water guide trough 24 and discharge it, and the defrosting water dripping from the surface of the evaporator 1 during defrosting also falls into the water guide trough 24 and discharges it, preventing defrosting water from flowing into the cabinet and facilitating the cleaning of defrosting water. Meanwhile, the aforementioned flow guiding and protection device 2 for the evaporator surrounds the evaporator 1 through the top cover 21, the front cover 23 and the water guide trough 24, thus playing a role in both guiding and protecting the evaporator.
[0040] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the bending angle α is preferably 60°~85°. When the bending angle α is within this range, the water guided by the protective rod 2311 can quickly gather and drip at the bending angle α, avoiding excessive dispersion or stagnation of the guided water at the bottom of the protective rod 2311.
[0041] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the front end of the top cover 21 is bent downwards to form a front folded edge 211, and the front side of the top of the protective rod 2311 abuts against the front folded edge 211. The front folded edge 211 allows condensation on the top surface of the top cover 21 to flow more smoothly to the protective rod 2311, preventing condensation from accumulating at the front end of the top cover 21. Simultaneously, the abutment between the front side of the top of the protective rod 2311 and the front folded edge 211 of the top cover 21 simplifies the connection between the protective net 231 of the front cover 23 and the top cover 21, ensuring effective drainage and facilitating installation. Furthermore, when the top cover 21 and the front cover 23 are made of different materials (for example, the front cover 23 is made of cold-rolled steel wire welded and plastic-coated to ensure strength and airflow, while the top cover 21 is made of plastic to prevent cold air from being conducted to the top door surface), the problem of difficulty in connecting different materials can be avoided.
[0042] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the first connecting rib 2312 is connected to the rear side of the protective rod 2311 and is positioned near the top of the protective rod 2311. This arrangement of the first connecting rib 2312 prevents it from affecting the flow-guiding effect of the protective rod 2311. It should be noted that the first connecting rib 2312 and the protective rod 2311 can be connected by welding, and the protective rod 2311 and the cover 232 can also be connected by welding, allowing the protective net 231 and the cover 232 to be pre-connected as a whole for subsequent overall installation. It should also be noted that, if... Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, in order to facilitate the welding of the protective rod 2311 and the cover 232, a second connecting rib 2313 can be welded to the end of the bent portion a of the multiple protective rods 2311. The bent portion a of the protective rods 2311 can be connected into one piece by the second connecting rib 2313, and then the second connecting rib 2313 can be welded to the cover 232.
[0043] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 7As shown, an inner cover 22 is installed in the space between the top cover 21 and the top of the evaporator 1. The inner cover 22 is connected to the top of the evaporator 1, and the top cover 21 is snapped into the inner cover 22. A mounting groove b is formed between the front folded edge 211 of the top cover 21 and the front end of the inner cover 22 for the tip of the protective rod 2311 to be inserted. The inner cover 22 provides additional support for the top cover 21 and achieves a stable connection between the top cover 21 and the top of the evaporator 1. At the same time, the mounting groove b formed by the cooperation between the front folded edge 211 of the top cover 21 and the front end of the inner cover 22 enables the limiting installation of the protective net 231. Preferably, the rear side of the tip of the protective rod 2311 abuts against the front end of the inner cover 22, so that the front side of the protective rod 2311 tightly abuts against the front folded edge 211 of the top cover 21, ensuring a stable drainage effect.
[0044] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the water guide trough 24 is inclined at one end and lower at the other in the left-right direction, with the drain outlet 241 located at the lower end. The inclined water guide trough 24 facilitates water drainage. It should be noted that the width of the water guide trough 24 is consistent with the width of the evaporator 1, and the length of the water guide trough 24 is consistent with the length of the evaporator 1. The length of the protective net 231 is also consistent with the length of the evaporator 1. Furthermore, the water guide trough 24 should have sufficient length and width to ensure that all water dripping from the protective net 231 falls into the water guide trough 24, and to ensure that all water dripping from the surface of the evaporator 1 during defrosting also falls into the water guide trough 24.
[0045] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the bottom of the water guide channel 24 slopes from the front and rear sides towards the middle to form a "V" shape, and the drain outlet 241 is located at the lowest point of the "V" shaped bottom. This arrangement of the bottom of the water guide channel 24 allows water to collect in the middle of the water guide channel 24 and then be discharged from the drain outlet 241.
[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, the water guide channel 24 is connected to the bottom of the evaporator 1 via a connector 25. The connector 25 ensures the connection between the water guide channel 24 and the bottom of the evaporator 1, guaranteeing stable installation of the water guide channel 24. It should be noted that the connector 25 can be a connecting rod, connecting piece, etc., and the connector 25 and the water guide channel 24 can be connected by welding.
[0047] Based on the aforementioned flow guiding and protection device 2 for the evaporator, such as Figure 9As shown, this embodiment of the present invention also provides a freezer, including a cabinet body 3, a storage cavity formed inside the cabinet body 3, an evaporator 1 installed inside the storage cavity, and the aforementioned flow guiding and protective device 2 for the evaporator installed outside the evaporator 1. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the evaporator 1 is installed on the rear side of the storage cavity, and the evaporator 1 is a finned evaporator.
[0048] It should be noted that, in the above embodiments, in order to avoid affecting the display of the protective rod 2311, Figures 1-4 , Figure 6 Not all fins of the finned evaporator are shown.
[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.
[0050] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of this utility model and not to limit it; although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the specific implementation of this utility model or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the spirit of the technical solution of this utility model, and all such modifications and substitutions should be covered within the scope of the technical solution claimed by this utility model.
Claims
1. A flow-guiding and protective device for an evaporator, installed outside the evaporator, characterized in that, include: A top cover is installed on top of the evaporator, and its top surface is sloping with a lower front and a higher back to guide the water located on the top surface of the top cover to the front end of the top cover. A front cover, installed in front of the evaporator, includes a cover body located in front of the bottom of the evaporator and a protective net installed between the top of the cover body and the front end of the top cover; the protective net includes multiple vertically arranged protective rods and a first connecting rib for connecting the multiple protective rods into one piece; the top of the protective rods contacts the front end of the top cover to guide the water collected at the front end of the top cover to the protective rods; The cover is located in front of the protective rod. The bottom end of the protective rod is bent and connected to the cover. The bent part of the bottom end of the protective rod is inclined with the front higher and the back lower, so as to collect the water guided by the protective rod at the bending angle formed by the bend. A water guide trough, used to collect water dripping from the bend of the protective rod and water dripping from the evaporator during defrosting, is installed on the rear side of the cover of the front guard and located below the protective net and the evaporator, and has a drain outlet.
2. The flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front end of the top cover is bent downward to form a front folded edge, and the front side of the top of the protective rod abuts against the front folded edge.
3. The flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first connecting rib is connected to the rear side of the protective rod and is located near the top of the protective rod.
4. The flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator according to claim 2, characterized in that, An inner cover is installed in the space between the top cover and the top of the evaporator. The inner cover is connected to the top of the evaporator, and the top cover is snapped into the inner cover. A mounting groove is formed between the front folded edge of the top cover and the front end of the inner cover for the top of the protective rod to be inserted.
5. The flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The rear side of the top of the protective rod abuts against the front end of the inner protective cover.
6. The flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bending angle is 60°~85°.
7. The flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water guide channel is inclined in the left-right direction with one end higher than the other, and the drain outlet is located at the lower end.
8. The flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that, The bottom of the water guide channel slopes from the front and rear sides towards the middle to form a "V" shape, and the drain outlet is located at the lowest point of the "V" shaped bottom.
9. The flow guiding and protection device for an evaporator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water guide channel is connected to the bottom of the evaporator via a connector.
10. A freezer, comprising a cabinet body, wherein a storage cavity is formed within the cabinet body, and an evaporator is installed within the storage cavity, characterized in that, The evaporator is externally equipped with a flow guiding and protection device for the evaporator as described in any one of claims 1-9.