Refrigeration appliance

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of refrigeration appliances, in particular to a refrigeration appliance, which has: a liner adapted to enclose a storage chamber, the liner having an inner surface facing the storage chamber; a duct assembly cooperating with the liner to form at least one air duct, the air duct being adapted to supply cooling gas into a storage space of the storage chamber, the inner surface of the liner partially constituting a boundary surface of the air duct, the duct assembly comprising a thermal insulation member partially surrounding the air duct, the thermal insulation member having a corner portion on a side facing the liner; and a sealing member, which is pressed between the corner portion of the thermal insulation member and the liner in an assembled state. Thus, by directly using part of the inner surface of the liner as the boundary surface of the air duct, cooperating with the thermal insulation member to form the air duct structure, and arranging the sealing member between the corner portion of the thermal insulation member and the liner, the structure is simplified, and compared with the scheme in the prior art that requires an additional large-area plastic sealing plate to be fixed on the air duct foam member, the material cost and manufacturing complexity are significantly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of refrigeration appliances, and specifically to a refrigeration appliance. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous improvement of modern living standards, refrigeration appliances such as refrigerators play an increasingly important role in people's daily lives. To meet users' dual needs for food preservation and storage space, the internal structural design and air duct system configuration of refrigeration appliances are particularly crucial. The air duct system of a refrigeration appliance typically includes main components such as an outer air duct cover, air duct foam components, and seals fixed to the air duct foam components. To achieve effective sealing, existing seals usually take the form of large-area plastic sheets. These plastic sheets, acting as the boundary surface defining the air duct, cooperate with the air duct foam components to jointly form an air duct system for transporting and distributing cold air. However, these plastic sheets need to cover the entire air duct opening area, resulting in a large area, high material consumption, and the need to ensure a certain level of strength and flatness, placing high demands on both materials and processes.

[0003] Therefore, there is still a real need to improve the air duct structure of refrigeration appliances. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of embodiments of this application is to provide an improved refrigeration appliance that overcomes at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages and / or other possible disadvantages not mentioned herein.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this application, a refrigeration appliance is provided, comprising: an inner liner adapted to enclose a storage compartment, the inner liner having an inner surface facing the storage compartment; and a duct assembly cooperating with the inner liner to form at least one duct, the duct being adapted to supply cooling gas to the storage space of the storage compartment, wherein a portion of the inner surface of the inner liner constitutes a boundary surface defining the duct, the duct assembly including a heat insulation member partially surrounding the duct, the heat insulation member having a corner portion on the side facing the inner liner; and a sealing member configured to be pressed between the inner liner and the corner portion of the heat insulation member in an assembled state. Thus, by directly using a portion of the inner surface of the inner liner as the boundary surface of the duct, simultaneously forming the duct structure with the heat insulation member, and providing a sealing member between the corner portion of the heat insulation member and the inner liner, a simplified structure is achieved. Compared with the prior art, which requires additional fixing of a large area of ​​plastic sealing plate to the duct foam, material costs and manufacturing complexity are significantly reduced. On the one hand, compared to the design where the seal is only placed between the inner liner and the back of the insulation component, placing the seal between the inner liner and the insulation component at the corner reduces the gap between them, thereby reducing the space occupied by the air duct assembly and lowering the manufacturing requirements for the flatness of the inner liner. On the other hand, compared to the design where the seal is only placed between the side of the insulation component and the inner liner, placing the seal between the inner liner and the insulation component at the corner avoids the problem of scraping the inner liner during assembly, which could lead to poor sealing.

[0006] According to an optional embodiment, the corner portion is located on the side of the heat insulation member facing away from the air duct. Therefore, on the one hand, the corner portion being located on the side facing away from the air duct facilitates the installation and positioning of the seal; on the other hand, it prevents the seal from protruding into the air duct, thereby ensuring smooth flow of cooling gas and the predetermined airflow distribution effect.

[0007] According to one alternative embodiment, the seal has a direction extending along the periphery of the air duct. This establishes a sealing barrier along the periphery of the air duct, effectively preventing cooling gas from leaking from the air duct into unintended areas.

[0008] According to an optional embodiment, the air duct assembly cooperates with the inner liner to form independent first and second air supply channels as the air ducts. This allows cooling gas to be delivered to different areas of the refrigerator compartment separately, while ensuring the sealing effect of multiple air ducts.

[0009] According to one alternative embodiment, two independent sealing strips surround the first air supply channel and the second air supply channel as sealing components. This simplifies the shape of the sealing component, improves the sealing effect, and also reduces assembly complexity.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment, a first sealing strip extends continuously between the first air supply channel and the second air supply channel, and a second sealing strip continuously surrounds the first air supply channel and the second air supply channel on the outside. This fully utilizes the continuity of the sealing strips, reducing the number of sealing strips and seams while creating an effective seal around both air ducts.

[0011] According to one alternative embodiment, the heat insulation component has a recessed structure at the corner portion, recessed in a direction away from the inner liner, to accommodate the sealing component. Thus, on the one hand, the recessed structure provides dedicated installation space for the sealing component, preventing undesirable positional displacement of the sealing component during assembly and ensuring proper fit between the sealing component and the inner liner and heat insulation component; on the other hand, it simplifies the assembly process, providing clear assembly guidance for installers and improving assembly convenience.

[0012] According to one alternative embodiment, the inner liner has an arched profile at the corner that follows the concavity of the corner, the arched profile having a concave depth toward the storage space. This achieves a shape match between the inner liner and the insulation at the corner, providing more favorable sealing space and a more uniform compression distribution.

[0013] According to one optional embodiment, the inner liner is configured such that the inner surface of the boundary face of the air duct is flat. Thus, on the one hand, a flat inner surface is easier to achieve using standard inner liner molding processes, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost; on the other hand, the flat boundary face reduces airflow disturbance, lowers flow resistance, improves the transmission efficiency of the air duct, and ensures that cooling gas can be smoothly delivered to the predetermined location.

[0014] According to an alternative embodiment, the recessed structure includes a first recess and a second recess, the first recess having a first recess depth toward the storage space, and the second recess having a second recess depth toward the air duct. Thus, this recessed structure is particularly well-suited to the shape of corners, while providing suitable accommodating space for the seal to ensure the required sealing performance.

[0015] According to one alternative embodiment, the recessed structure has an arc extending along the corner. This avoids the uneven stress that might occur at right angles, ensuring a continuous and effective seal.

[0016] According to an optional embodiment, in the uncompressed state, the seal has a gap between itself and the limiting peripheral wall of the recessed structure. This reduces manufacturing precision requirements and provides ample space for the seal's compression deformation, ensuring that the seal can operate at a suitable compression ratio.

[0017] According to one alternative embodiment, the flat surface connects to the arched profile. This achieves a smooth transition between the ductwork functional area and the sealing functional area, optimizing the overall structure's manufacturing process and mechanical properties.

[0018] According to one alternative embodiment, the recess depth is greater than the first recess depth. This greater recess depth ensures that the arched profile of the inner liner more tightly compresses the seal, allowing the seal to generate sufficient sealing pressure between the insulation and the inner liner to ensure the required sealing performance.

[0019] According to one alternative embodiment, the first recess depth is greater than the second recess depth. Thus, the larger first recess depth provides ample space for the seal at the location where it contacts the inner liner with a larger area, allowing the seal to conform more closely to the inner liner and deform freely when compressed, avoiding stress concentration caused by excessive constraint; the smaller second recess depth allows the seal to be partially squeezed outwards to form moderate constraint, preventing excessive inward deformation of the seal from affecting the air duct.

[0020] In one alternative embodiment, both the first recess depth and the second recess depth are less than the thickness of the seal when it is not compressed. This ensures that the seal remains compressed after assembly, maintaining effective sealing pressure.

[0021] According to an optional embodiment, the insulation component is constructed as an EPS foam component. Thus, on the one hand, EPS foam can effectively block the heat transfer of low-temperature air within the duct to the outside, reducing cooling loss and improving the energy efficiency of the refrigeration system; on the other hand, EPS foam is easy to mold and process, and complex three-dimensional shapes can be manufactured through simple processes, helping to control the overall cost of the product.

[0022] According to one alternative embodiment, the seal is constructed as a foam component. The softness of the foam material allows it to adapt to complex sealing paths, including corners, achieving a continuous and reliable sealing effect.

[0023] According to one alternative embodiment, the seal is adhered to the thermal insulation component. This pre-attachment design simplifies the assembly process and prevents displacement of the seal during assembly, ensuring a stable sealing effect.

[0024] According to one optional embodiment, the storage space is constructed as the refrigeration space of a household refrigerator. Therefore, as the most frequently used area in a household refrigerator, the refrigeration space has stringent requirements for temperature uniformity, energy efficiency, and reliability. Through optimized airflow structure and sealing design, not only are manufacturing costs reduced, but the reliability of the household refrigerator is also improved. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The principles, features, and advantages of this application will be better understood below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings include:

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic front view of a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 It shows along Figure 1 A partial schematic sectional view cut by the cutting line AA;

[0028] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 The enlarged view of part B shown;

[0029] Figure 4 It shows Figure 2 The enlarged view of part B shown below does not include the seal.

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic rear view of the air duct assembly and seals of a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown;

[0031] Figure 6 It shows along Figure 5 A partial schematic cross-sectional view cut by the cutting line CC;

[0032] Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 The enlarged view of part D shown; and

[0033] Figure 8 A schematic perspective view of a seal of a refrigeration appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown.

[0034] Figure label:

[0035] 1000: Refrigeration appliance; 1300: Air duct; 1310: First air supply channel; 1320: Second air supply channel; 1200: Air duct assembly; 1101: Storage compartment; 1100: Inner liner; 1102: Inner surface; 1110: Arched profile; 1001: Storage space; 900: Thermal insulation component; 910: Corner; 920: Recessed structure; 921: First recess; 922: Second recess; 923: Limiting perimeter wall; 901: Middle part; 800: Sealing component; 810: First sealing strip; 820: Second sealing strip; 700: Air duct cover; 600: Air inlet; 10: Air outlet; d0: Recess depth; d1: First recess depth; d2: Second recess depth; d3: Thickness; x: Width direction; y: Height direction; z: Depth direction. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial technical effects of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Various embodiments may share the same view or multiple views for description, but not all features appearing in the same view should be interpreted as features that must be present in an embodiment.

[0037] For ease of understanding, the description provided in the background section of this application may be recalled. One object of this application is to provide a refrigeration appliance comprising: an inner liner adapted to enclose a storage compartment, the inner liner having an inner surface facing the storage compartment; and a duct assembly cooperating with the inner liner to form at least one duct adapted to supply cooling gas to the storage space of the storage compartment, wherein a portion of the inner surface of the inner liner constitutes a boundary surface defining the duct, the duct assembly including a heat insulation member partially surrounding the duct, the heat insulation member having a corner portion on the side facing the inner liner; and a seal configured to be pressed between the corner portion of the inner liner and the heat insulation member in an assembled state. Therefore, by directly using part of the inner surface of the inner liner as the boundary surface of the air duct, and combining it with the heat insulation component to form the air duct structure, and setting a sealing component between the corner of the heat insulation component and the inner liner, the structure is simplified. Compared with the existing technology, which requires additional fixing of a large area of ​​plastic sealing plate to the air duct foam component, the material cost and manufacturing complexity are significantly reduced.

[0038] Exemplary embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] Figure 1 A schematic front view of a refrigeration appliance 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 2 It shows along Figure 1 A partial schematic sectional view cut by the cutting line AA; Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 The enlarged view of part B shown.

[0040] Figure 1 A refrigeration appliance 1000, exemplaryly configured as a household refrigerator, is shown. In embodiments not shown in the figures, the refrigeration appliance 1000 may also be configured as other refrigeration appliances with an air duct structure. Figure 1 As shown schematically, the refrigerator door is open to reveal the interior of the refrigerator compartment. Figure 1The xyz coordinate system of the refrigeration appliance 1000 is also schematically shown, where x represents the width direction of the refrigeration appliance 1000, y represents the height direction of the refrigeration appliance 1000, and z (not shown) represents the depth direction of the refrigeration appliance 1000 from the outside to the inside. For clarity, this xyz coordinate system will be used as a general reference in the following figures.

[0041] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 The refrigeration appliance 1000 has an inner liner 1100, which encloses a storage compartment 1101. Figure 3 (A partial view of storage compartment 1101 is schematically shown). The inner liner 1100 has an inner surface 1102 facing the storage compartment 1101. The storage compartment 1101 includes a storage space 1001 for the user of the refrigeration appliance 1000 to store items (e.g., food). To provide a low-temperature airflow to cool the storage space 1001, the refrigeration appliance 1000 has an air duct assembly 1200, wherein the inner liner 1100 directly cooperates with the air duct assembly 1200 to form an air duct 1300, for example for conveying cooling gas from the freezer compartment to the storage space 1001, which serves as a refrigeration space or cold storage compartment. Figure 3As can be seen, the inner surface 1102 of the inner liner 1100 directly serves as the boundary surface defining the air duct 1300, thereby reducing the need for additional seals. The air duct assembly 1200 specifically includes a heat insulation element 900, preferably EPS foam, which partially surrounds the air duct 1300 as shown in the figure, and has a corner portion 910 on the side facing the inner liner 1100. Specifically, the heat insulation element 900 has a cross-section resembling a "U" shape, with the central recess forming the main space of the air duct 1300, while the two side edges form the corner portions 910. Furthermore, the refrigeration appliance 1000 also includes a seal 800, preferably foam. In the assembled state, the seal 800 is pressed between the inner liner 1100 and the corner portion 910 of the heat insulation element 900 to prevent cooling gas leakage from the edge of the air duct 1300. In an embodiment not shown in the figures, the seal 800 may be located at the corner portion 910 of the heat insulation element 900 facing the air duct 1300. In the preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, the corner portion 910 for assembling the seal 800 is located on the outer side of the heat insulation component 900, away from the air duct 1300. Therefore, when cooling gas flows within the air duct 1300, because the corner portion 910 is located on the outer side of the air duct, the seal 800 is not directly exposed to the low-temperature airflow, thus avoiding aging and deformation of the seal 800 due to prolonged contact with the low-temperature airflow. Simultaneously, because the corner portion 910 is away from the air duct 1300, installers can easily install the seal 800 from the outside during assembly, improving assembly efficiency and accuracy. In one installation method, the seal 800 can be pre-attached to the corner portion 910 of the heat insulation component 900, extending along the periphery of the air duct 1300, and then, during assembly, it can be tightly contacted with the inner liner 1100 through an interference fit to form a sealing effect. In another installation method, the seal 800 can also be pre-attached to the corresponding part of the inner liner 1100 extending along the periphery of the air duct 1300, and then, during assembly, it will fit tightly against the corner 910 of the insulation component 900 through an interference fit to form a seal. The air duct assembly 1200 can be secured to the inner liner 1100, for example, by clips and / or screws. Cooling gas enters from the air inlet 600 at the bottom (see also the description to be continued). Figure 5 ) Enters the air duct at 1300 and passes through Figure 1 The exemplary embodiment shows multiple air outlets 10 distributed to different areas of the storage space 1001 to cool items (e.g., food) located in the storage space 1001.

[0042] from Figure 3 It can also be seen that the inner surface 1102 of the boundary surface of the inner liner 1100 that defines the air duct 1300 is preferably a flat surface, and the inner liner 1100 has an arched profile 1110 that follows the concavity of the corner 910 at the corner 910, and the arched profile 1110 is connected to the inner surface 1102, which is a flat surface.

[0043] Figure 4 It shows Figure 2 The enlarged view of part B shown indicates that the seal 800 is not shown. (See diagram below.) Figure 4 As shown, the heat insulation member 900 has a recessed structure 920 at the corner 910, recessed in a direction away from the inner liner 1100, to accommodate a seal 800 (not shown). The recessed structure 920 preferably has an arc extending along the corner 910 to ensure that the seal 800 can naturally bend in this area. The recessed structure 920 may include, for example... Figure 4 The first recess 921 and the second recess 922 are schematically shown in dashed lines. The first recess 921 and the second recess 922 provide support surfaces in different directions for the stable placement of the seal 800. (See attached image.) Figure 4 As schematically shown, the first recess 921 has a first recess depth d1 facing the storage space 1001, and the second recess 922 has a second recess depth d2 facing the air duct 1300. The first recess depth d1 is preferably greater than the second recess depth d2, while both the first recess depth d1 and the second recess depth d2 are less than the thickness d3 of the seal 800 when uncompressed (see also the description to be followed). Figure 7 ).from Figure 4 It can be seen that the arched profile 1110 of the inner liner 1100 has a recessed depth d0 facing the storage space 1001, and the recessed depth d0 is at least greater than the first recessed depth d1. This difference in depth is beneficial to the assembly of the inner liner 1100 and the heat insulation component 900, and also improves the sealing effect.

[0044] Figure 5 A schematic rear view of the air duct assembly 1200 and the seal 800 of a refrigeration appliance 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 6 It shows along Figure 5 A partial schematic cross-sectional view cut by the cutting line CC; Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 The enlarged view of part D shown; Figure 8 A schematic perspective view of a seal 800 of a refrigeration appliance 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown.

[0045] like Figure 5 Combination Figure 1 As shown, the air duct assembly 1200 includes an air duct cover 700 facing the storage space 1001, and a heat insulation element 900 is fixed to the side of the air duct cover 700 away from the storage space 1001.

[0046] from Figure 5 As can be seen, the air duct assembly 1200, in conjunction with the inner liner 1100 (not shown), forms a first air supply channel 1310 and a second air supply channel 1320, which are independent of each other, constituting the air duct 1300. Also as... Figure 5As shown, the two air supply channels are structurally completely independent, each with its own independent air inlet and outlet (the two independent air inlets 600 are exemplified as follows). Figure 5 As shown, the two independent air outlets 10 are exemplarily as follows: Figure 1 (As shown). The two air ducts are completely separated by the middle portion 901 of the heat insulation element 900, ensuring that the airflow does not interfere with each other. This allows for independent control of the airflow volume of the first air supply duct 1310 and the second air supply duct 1320, which not only improves cooling efficiency but also enhances the flexibility of temperature control. To seal the first air supply duct 1310 and the second air supply duct 1320, the sealing element 800 includes two independent sealing strips that partially surround the first air supply duct 1310 and the second air supply duct 1320, as shown. Figure 5 and Figure 8 As shown. Preferably, the first sealing strip 810 extends continuously between the first air supply channel 1310 and the second air supply channel 1320, and the second sealing strip 820 continuously surrounds the first air supply channel 1310 and the second air supply channel 1320 on the outside. To ensure the continuity of each sealing strip, both the first sealing strip 810 and the second sealing strip 820 preferably span across the heat insulation member 900 to separate the middle portion 901 of the first air supply channel 1310 and the second air supply channel 1320. This achieves continuous sealing around the periphery of the two air ducts, reducing the number of sealing joints, and simplifies the assembly process, improving production efficiency. In an embodiment for a single air duct 1300 not specifically shown in the figures, the sealing member 800, made of a strip of foam material, can extend continuously along the periphery of the single air duct 1300. Specifically, the direction of the sealing strip can follow the outer contour of the air duct 1300, for example, starting from one side of the air duct 1300, extending continuously along the corner 910 of the heat insulation member 900, surrounding the entire air duct, and finally forming a complete sealing ring.

[0047] from Figure 7 As can be seen, in the uncompressed state, there is a gap between the seal 800 and the limiting peripheral wall 923 of the recessed structure 920. This allows installers to quickly and easily place the seal 800 into the recessed structure 920. The gap also allows for a certain degree of positional deviation, significantly reducing assembly difficulty. In particular, the reserved gap is effectively utilized in the final compression stage. When the inner liner 1100 presses against the insulation 900, the seal 800 (e.g., a foam component) is compressed in the thickness direction d3 and thus extends laterally. At this time, the reserved gap is filled by the extended sealing material, ultimately achieving an optimized sealing effect.

[0048] Although specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of this application, even when only a single embodiment is described with respect to a particular feature. The feature examples provided in this application are intended to be illustrative and not limiting, unless explicitly stated otherwise. In practice, multiple features may be combined with each other as needed and where technically feasible. Various substitutions, modifications, and alterations are also conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of this application.

Claims

1. A refrigeration appliance, characterized in that, The refrigeration appliance (1000) has: An inner liner (1100) adapted to enclose a storage chamber (1101), the inner liner (1100) having an inner surface (1102) facing the storage chamber (1101); and A duct assembly (1200) that cooperates with the inner liner (1100) to form at least one duct (1300) adapted to supply cooling gas to a storage space (1001) of the storage chamber (1101), wherein an inner surface (1102) of the inner liner (1100) partially forms a boundary surface defining the duct (1300), the duct assembly (1200) including a heat insulation element (900) partially surrounding the duct (1300), the heat insulation element (900) having a corner portion (910) on the side facing the inner liner (1100); and A sealing element (800) is configured to be pressed between the corner (910) of the inner liner (1100) and the heat insulation element (900) in the assembled state.

2. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The corner portion (910) is located on the side of the heat insulation element (900) facing away from the air duct (1300); and / or The seal (800) has a direction extending along the periphery of the air duct (1300); and / or The air duct assembly (1200) and the inner liner (1100) cooperate to form a first air supply channel (1310) and a second air supply channel (1320) that are independent of each other as the air duct (1300).

3. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that, Two independent sealing strips, as part of the sealing element (800), surround the first air supply channel (1310) and the second air supply channel (1320).

4. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first sealing strip (810) extends continuously between the first air supply channel (1310) and the second air supply channel (1320), and the second sealing strip (820) continuously surrounds the first air supply channel (1310) and the second air supply channel (1320) on the outside.

5. The refrigeration appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The heat insulation element (900) has a recessed structure (920) at the corner (910) that is recessed in a direction away from the inner liner (1100) to accommodate the seal (800); and / or The inner liner (1100) has an arched profile (1110) at the corner (910) that follows the concavity of the corner (910), the arched profile (1110) having a concave depth toward the storage space (1001); and / or; The inner liner (1100) is configured such that the inner surface (1102) of the boundary surface of the air duct (1300) is flat.

6. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that, The recessed structure (920) includes a first recess (921) and a second recess (922), the first recess (921) having a first recess depth toward the storage space (1001), and the second recess (922) having a second recess depth toward the air duct (1300); and / or The recessed structure (920) has an arc extending along the corner portion (910); and / or In the uncompressed state, the seal (800) has a gap with the limiting peripheral wall (923) of the recessed structure (920); and / or The flat surface connects to the arch profile (1110).

7. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that, The depth of the depression is greater than the depth of the first indentation; and / or The depth of the first depression is greater than the depth of the second depression; and / or Both the first recess depth and the second recess depth are less than the thickness of the seal (800) when it is not compressed.

8. The refrigeration appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The insulation component (900) is constructed of EPS foam.

9. The refrigeration appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The seal (800) is constructed as a foam component; and / or The sealing element (800) is attached to the heat insulation element (900).

10. The refrigeration appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The storage space (1001) is configured as the refrigeration space of a household refrigerator.

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