Refrigerator

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of refrigerators, in particular to a refrigerator. The refrigerator comprises a cabinet, an ice maker arranged in the cabinet, the ice maker being provided with a first opening, and a sealing element arranged around the first opening. The sealing element comprises a deformation part, a first cavity formed around the sealing element is arranged in the deformation part, a first gap is arranged on the deformation part, the first gap penetrates the deformation part along the radial direction of the sealing element, and the deformation part can deform along the axial direction of the sealing element to seal the first gap when the deformation part is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the sealing element. The application can improve the effect of preventing cold energy loss.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of refrigerators, in particular to a refrigerator. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, with the improvement of living standards, the refrigerator has become an essential part of people's daily life, which can contain and refrigerate articles and prolong the shelf life of articles.

[0003] The refrigerator has a plurality of components, and cold medium needs to be transmitted between some adjacent two components, for example, cold air needs to be transported between the air pipe connected to the ice maker and the inner container, and ice blocks need to be transported between the ice storage channel on the door body and the ice maker. Adjacent two components are usually sealed by a sealing element to reduce the loss of cold energy of the cold medium. However, the sealing element used in the related art has poor effect in preventing the loss of cold energy. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0004] The refrigerator disclosed by the embodiments of the present application can improve the effect of preventing the loss of cold energy.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, in a first aspect, the embodiments of the present application disclose a refrigerator, comprising:

[0006] a cabinet;

[0007] an ice maker arranged in the cabinet, the ice maker having a first opening;

[0008] a sealing element arranged around the first opening;

[0009] The sealing element comprises:

[0010] a deformation portion, a first cavity surrounding the sealing element is formed in the deformation portion, a first gap is arranged on the deformation portion, and the first gap penetrates the deformation portion along the radial direction of the sealing element;

[0011] When the deformation portion is subjected to a pressure along the axial direction of the sealing element, the deformation portion can deform along the axial direction of the sealing element to seal the first gap.

[0012] In the present application, the deformation portion of the sealing element is provided with a first cavity and a first gap, the first cavity is arranged around the sealing element, and the first gap penetrates the deformation portion along the radial direction of the sealing element. When the sealing element on the ice maker is subjected to a pressure along the axial direction of the sealing element in cooperation with the ice maker and other components in the cabinet of the refrigerator, the deformation portion will deform along the axial direction to seal the first gap, so that the first cavity becomes a closed cavity. After the first cavity becomes a closed cavity, there will be air in the first cavity. The thermal conductivity of air is low, which can play a role of heat insulation in the first cavity, further hinder the transfer of heat, and reduce the loss of cold energy at the first opening.

[0013] And, since the first gap is arranged on the deformation part, compared with the deformation part without the first gap, the rigidity of the deformation part of the present application is smaller, so the deformation part has more excellent ability of deforming along the axial direction, that is, the compressible amount of the deformation part along the axial direction is larger, which can make the seal fit more installation scenes.

[0014] In an alternative embodiment, the seal further comprises:

[0015] a base part, the base part being annular, one end of the base part being in abutment with the ice maker, the other end of the base part being connected with the deformation part;

[0016] a second cavity is formed between the base part and the deformation part, the second cavity being annular around the seal, the second cavity being spaced apart from the first cavity along the axial direction of the seal and being partitioned, the second cavity having a second gap;

[0017] When the deformation part is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal, the deformation part can be in contact with the base part to seal the second gap.

[0018] In the present embodiment, a second cavity is formed between the base part and the deformation part, the second cavity has a second gap, when the ice maker cooperates with other components in the cabinet of the refrigerator, the seal on the ice maker will be subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal, at this time, the deformation part and the base part will deform along the axial direction to seal the first gap and the second gap, so that the first cavity and the second cavity become closed cavities. It can be seen that after adopting the structure of the present embodiment, two closed cavities can be formed after the seal is pressed, which can further reduce the loss of cold quantity at the first opening.

[0019] In an alternative embodiment, one of the first gap and the second gap is towards the radially inner side of the seal, and the other is towards the radially outer side of the seal.

[0020] In the present embodiment, one of the first gap and the second gap is towards the radially inner side of the seal, and the other is towards the radially outer side of the seal, so that the rigidity of the inner side and the outer side of the seal is approximately equal, so that when the seal is subjected to axial pressure, the forces acting on the inner and outer sides of the seal are more balanced, to ensure the sealing performance of the seal.

[0021] In an alternative embodiment, the base part comprises:

[0022] a first fin in the shape of a ring, the first fin being connected with the deformation part, the outer peripheral surface of the first fin gradually increasing in size from the direction of the deformation part pointing to the base part along the radial direction of the seal.

[0023] The first fin is arranged opposite to the deformation portion along the axial direction of the seal, and the second cavity is located between the first fin and the deformation portion. At least one of the surface of the first fin facing the deformation portion and the surface of the deformation portion facing the first fin is provided with a protrusion.

[0024] When the deformation portion is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal, the protrusion of one of the first fin and the deformation portion provided with the protrusion can contact the other one to seal the second gap.

[0025] In the embodiment, at least one of the first fin and the deformation portion is provided with a protrusion. When the seal is subjected to axial pressure large enough, the protrusion can contact the first fin or the deformation portion to seal the second gap. Since the protrusion is arranged on the surface of the first fin facing the deformation portion and / or the surface of the deformation portion facing the first fin, the protrusion can seal the second gap when the deformation portion is deformed along the axial direction by a small amount. At this time, the second cavity still has a large volume, and the second cavity has better performance of hindering heat transfer.

[0026] In an alternative embodiment, the base portion further comprises:

[0027] A second fin is connected to the outer circumferential surface or the inner circumferential surface of the first fin. The second fin extends along the radial direction of the seal, and a clamping space is formed between the second fin and the first fin.

[0028] The ice maker comprises:

[0029] A fixing portion is arranged around the seal and clamped in the clamping space.

[0030] In the embodiment, the clamping space is formed between the first fin and the second fin, and the fixing portion is clamped in the clamping space. It can be seen that the seal can be fixed to the fixing portion by the structure of the seal itself without using other fixing tools such as screws to fix the seal, so as to facilitate the fixing of the seal and reduce the installation difficulty of the seal. For example, since the seal has elasticity, the size of the through hole of the fixing portion can be different from the radial size of the clamping space, so that the fixing portion is pressed by the seal after being located in the clamping space, and the seal is tightly sleeved on the fixing portion.

[0031] In an alternative embodiment, the deformation portion comprises:

[0032] A first sealing section;

[0033] A second sealing section is located on the side of the first sealing section away from the first opening along the axial direction of the seal.

[0034] a connecting section between the first sealing section and the second sealing section, and two ends of the connecting section are connected with the first sealing section and the second sealing section respectively;

[0035] The first sealing section, the connecting section and the second sealing section surround the first cavity, and the first gap is between the first sealing section and the second sealing section, and the first sealing section can contact the second sealing section to seal the first gap when the deformation part is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the sealing member.

[0036] In this embodiment, when the sealing member is subjected to axial force, the end of the second sealing section away from the connecting section will deform towards the first sealing section, and in this process, the connecting section will also elastically deform until the end of the second sealing section away from the connecting section contacts the first sealing section, thereby sealing the first gap and making the first cavity a closed cavity. When the sealing member is no longer subjected to axial force, the connecting section and the second sealing section will gradually recover the elastic deformation until the first gap is opened.

[0037] In an alternative embodiment, the first sealing section has a first surface facing the second sealing section, the second sealing section has a second surface facing the first sealing section, and at least one of the first surface and the second surface is provided with a sealing protrusion;

[0038] When the deformation part is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the sealing member, the sealing protrusion of one of the first sealing section and the second sealing section can contact the other to seal the first gap.

[0039] In this embodiment, at least one of the first surface and the second surface is provided with a sealing protrusion, and when the sealing member is subjected to a large enough axial pressure, the sealing protrusion will contact the first surface or the second surface to seal the first opening. Since the sealing protrusion is provided on the first surface and / or the second surface, the sealing protrusion can seal the first opening after the deformation part is deformed along the axial direction. At this time, the first cavity still has a large volume, and the first cavity has better performance in blocking heat transfer.

[0040] In an alternative embodiment, a bending structure is formed on the sealing protrusion, one end of the sealing protrusion is connected with the second sealing section, and the other end of the sealing protrusion extends towards the connecting section.

[0041] In this embodiment, a bent structure is formed on the sealing protrusion, and the sealing protrusion extends towards the connecting section. Therefore, the sealing protrusion has a large plate surface facing the first sealing section. When the sealing protrusion contacts the second sealing section, the contact area between the first sealing section and the second sealing section is large, which can ensure the airtightness of the first cavity to prevent the cold energy of the ice maker from being lost to the outside.

[0042] In one optional embodiment, both the first surface and the second surface are provided with the sealing protrusion, and the sealing protrusion on the first surface and the sealing protrusion on the second surface are offset along the axial direction of the seal.

[0043] When the seal is subjected to axial pressure, the sealing protrusion on the first surface can contact the second surface, and the sealing protrusion on the second surface can contact the first surface. This creates a tortuous channel between the first and second sealing sections, ensuring the airtightness of the first cavity and preventing the ice maker's cold energy from escaping. Furthermore, because the area of ​​the end of the sealing protrusion facing away from the second sealing section is smaller, the contact area between the sealing protrusion and the first or second surface is smaller. When the axial force on the seal disappears, the deformed portion can quickly rebound to rapidly adapt to changes in the gap between the ice maker and other refrigerator components, such as the inner liner or door.

[0044] In one alternative embodiment, a guide structure is formed on the side of the first surface opposite to the connecting section, and the sealing protrusion and the guide structure are disposed opposite to each other along the axial direction of the seal. When the deformed portion is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal, the guide structure can guide the sealing protrusion to the side of the first sealing section opposite to the connecting section.

[0045] In this embodiment, a guide structure is formed on the side of the first sealing section opposite to the connecting section, and the guide structure and the sealing protrusion are correspondingly arranged along the axial direction of the seal. When the seal is compressed, the sealing protrusion will contact the guide structure and be guided by the guide structure to the side of the first sealing section opposite to the connecting section, so as to contact the surface of the first sealing section opposite to the connecting section, thereby sealing the first cavity. It can be seen that in this embodiment, the first cavity is sealed by the cooperation between the surface of the first sealing section opposite to the connecting section and the sealing protrusion. When the sealing protrusion seals the first cavity, the first sealing section does not hinder the sealing protrusion from continuing to move towards the ice maker. Therefore, the seal can also be compressed, that is, the compressibility of the seal is large, which allows the seal to adapt to more installation scenarios.

[0046] In one alternative embodiment, the end of the second sealing segment opposite to the connecting segment forms a flange extending toward the first opening, the sealing protrusion is located radially outward of the flange, the flange is located radially inward of the first sealing segment, and the distance between the flange and the first sealing segment along the radial direction of the seal is greater than ;

[0047] Along the axial direction of the seal, the protrusion height of the sealing protrusion is less than the protrusion height of the flange.

[0048] In this embodiment, when the seal is subjected to axial pressure, the second sealing segment undergoes elastic deformation towards the first sealing segment. Since the flange is located radially inside the first sealing segment, it is not blocked by the first sealing segment during the deformation of the second sealing segment. The second sealing segment cannot seal the first cavity until the sealing protrusion contacts the first surface of the first sealing segment, at which point the first cavity is sealed. At this time, the flange and the first sealing segment are radially opposite each other, with a gap between them. When the seal is no longer subjected to axial pressure, the second sealing segment recovers its deformation. The width of the gap between the flange and the first sealing segment remains constant for a period of time. During this period, the amount of gas entering the first cavity is approximately equal, which ensures that the rebound speed of the deformed part is uniform, resulting in a more uniform stress distribution within the seal and extending its service life.

[0049] In one alternative embodiment, the flanged portion has a raised rib extending axially along the seal on the surface facing the first sealing section.

[0050] In this embodiment, the surface of the flange facing the first sealing section is provided with a raised rib extending along the axial direction of the seal. This raised rib can be used to prevent the flange from sticking to the first sealing section, thereby reducing the contact area between the flange and the first sealing section, and ensuring that air can enter the first cavity during the rebound of the deformed part, thus improving the rebound effect of the deformed part. Attached Figure Description

[0051] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0052] Figure 1 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the refrigerator disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice maker disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0054] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the ice maker disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0055] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the assembly of the ice maker and inner liner as disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0056] Figure 5 For this application Figure 4 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0057] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the seal disclosed in the first embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the seal disclosed in the first embodiment of this application when it is compressed;

[0059] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the seal disclosed in the second embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the seal disclosed in the second embodiment of this application when it is compressed;

[0061] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the seal disclosed in the third embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional view of the seal disclosed in the third embodiment of this application when it is compressed;

[0063] Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional view of the seal disclosed in the fourth embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional view of the seal disclosed in the fourth embodiment of this application when it is compressed;

[0065] Figure 14 This is a cross-sectional view of the seal disclosed in the fifth embodiment of this application.

[0066] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0067] 100. Housing; 200. Ice maker; 210. Fixing part; 220. Air duct; 300. Sealing element; 301. First cavity; 302. First notch; 303. Second cavity; 304. Second notch; 305. Clamping space; 310. Deformable part; 311. Protrusion; 312. First sealing section; 313. Second sealing section; 314. Connecting section; 315. Sealing protrusion; 316. Guide structure; 317. Flanged part; 318. Rib; 320. Base part; 321. First fin; 322. Second fin; 400. Inner liner. Detailed Implementation

[0068] 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 some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0069] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0070] Furthermore, in addition to indicating location or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0071] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setup," "equipped with," "connection," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0072] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are primarily used to distinguish different devices, elements, or components (which may be the same or different in specific type and construction), and are not intended to indicate or imply the relative importance or quantity of the indicated devices, elements, or components. Unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0073] Currently, with the improvement of living standards, refrigerators have become an indispensable part of people's daily lives, as they can store and refrigerate items and extend their shelf life.

[0074] A refrigerator contains multiple components, some of which require the transfer of cold medium between adjacent components. For example, cold air needs to be supplied between the air duct connecting the ice maker and the inner liner, and ice blocks need to be supplied between the ice storage channel on the door and the ice maker. Adjacent components are usually sealed with seals to reduce the loss of cold medium. However, the seals used in related technologies are not very effective at preventing the loss of cold medium.

[0075] This application discloses a refrigerator that improves the effect of preventing cold air loss. The refrigerator provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0076] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown in the figure, an embodiment of this application discloses a refrigerator, including:

[0077] Box 100.

[0078] An ice maker 200 is housed within a housing 100 and has a first opening. Exemplarily, this first opening can be an air inlet, an ice outlet, or an air vent of the ice maker 200. When the first opening is an air inlet or an air outlet, a sealing element 300 is installed between the ice maker 200 and the inner liner 400 of the refrigerator, sealing the gap between the air inlet / outlet and the inner liner 400. When the first opening is an ice outlet, the sealing element 300 is installed between the ice maker 200 and the refrigerator door, sealing the gap between the ice outlet and the ice outlet channel inside the door. It should be noted that the ice maker 200 contains a connected ice-making component and an air duct 220, with the end of the air duct 220 facing away from the ice-making component serving as the air inlet of the ice maker 200.

[0079] A seal 300, disposed around the first opening, is used to prevent the outward transfer of cold air from the first opening. The seal 300 includes:

[0080] The deformable portion 310 has a first cavity 301 formed within it, surrounding the seal 300. A first notch 302 is provided on the deformable portion 310, penetrating it radially through the seal 300; that is, the first notch 302 is connected to the first cavity 301. It should be noted that the radial direction of the seal 300 refers to the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the seal 300. The seal 300 can be circular, square, etc., and this application does not limit the shape of the seal 300.

[0081] When the deformable portion 310 is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal 300, the deformable portion 310 can deform along the axial direction of the seal 300 to seal the first notch 302. For example, the seal 300 can be made of an elastic material, such as rubber, silicone, etc.

[0082] In this application, the deformable portion 310 of the seal 300 is provided with a first cavity 301 and a first notch 302. The first cavity 301 is arranged around the seal 300, and the first notch 302 penetrates the deformable portion 310 radially through the seal 300. When the ice maker 200 is engaged with other components inside the refrigerator body 100, the seal 300 on the ice maker 200 will be subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal 300. At this time, the deformable portion 310 will deform axially to seal the first notch 302, making the first cavity 301 a sealed cavity. After the first cavity 301 becomes a sealed cavity, air will exist inside the first cavity 301. Air has a low thermal conductivity and can act as a heat insulation layer inside the first cavity 301, further hindering heat transfer and reducing cold loss at the first opening.

[0083] Furthermore, because the deformable portion 310 has a first notch 302, its stiffness is lower than that of a deformable portion 310 without the first notch 302. Therefore, the deformable portion 310 has a superior ability to deform along the axial direction, meaning that the deformable portion 310 has a larger compressibility along the axial direction. This allows the seal 300 to adapt to more installation scenarios. It should be noted that the seal 300 is typically installed between two components, i.e., the seal 300 is located in the gap between the two components. Therefore, the larger compressibility of the deformable portion 310 along the axial direction allows it to adapt to a wider range of gaps.

[0084] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 7 In an optional embodiment, the seal 300 further includes:

[0085] The base portion 320 is annular, with one end abutting against the ice maker 200 and the other end connected to the deformable portion 310. The base portion 320 can be connected to the ice maker 200 to fix the seal 300 to the ice maker 200. It should be noted that the mating surface between the base portion 320 and the deformable portion 310 is... Figure 6 and Figure 10 The dotted line at the bottom center indicates this.

[0086] A second cavity 303 is formed between the base portion 320 and the deformable portion 310, surrounding the seal 300. The second cavity 303 and the first cavity 301 are spaced apart and separated along the axial direction of the seal 300. The second cavity 303 has a second notch 304. When the deformable portion 310 is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal 300, the deformable portion 310 can contact the base portion 320 to seal the second notch 304.

[0087] In this embodiment, a second cavity 303 is formed between the base portion 320 and the deformable portion 310. The second cavity 303 has a second notch 304. When the ice maker 200 cooperates with other components inside the refrigerator body 100, the seal 300 on the ice maker 200 is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal 300. At this time, the deformable portion 310 and the base portion 320 deform along the axial direction to seal the first notch 302 and the second notch 304, thereby making both the first cavity 301 and the second cavity 303 sealed cavities. It can be seen that after adopting the structure of this embodiment, two sealed cavities can be formed after the seal 300 is compressed, which can further reduce the cold loss at the first opening.

[0088] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 7 In one alternative embodiment, one of the first notch 302 and the second notch 304 faces the radially inner side of the seal 300, and the other faces the radially outer side of the seal 300.

[0089] In this embodiment, one of the first notch 302 and the second notch 304 faces the radially inner side of the seal 300, and the other faces the radially outer side of the seal 300. This makes the stiffness of the inner and outer sides of the seal 300 approximately equal, so that when the seal 300 is subjected to axial pressure, the forces on the inner and outer sides of the seal 300 are more balanced, thus ensuring the sealing performance of the seal 300. Of course, the first notch 302 and the second notch 304 may both face the radially inner or outer side of the seal 300, and this application does not limit this.

[0090] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 7 In one alternative embodiment, the base portion 320 includes:

[0091] A first annular fin 321 is connected to a deformable portion 310. The outer circumferential surface of the first fin 321 has a first dimension along the radial direction of the seal 300. From the deformable portion 310 towards the base portion 320, the first dimension of the first fin 321 gradually increases. Along the axial direction of the seal 300, the first fin 321 and the deformable portion 310 are positioned opposite each other. A second cavity 303 is located between the first fin 321 and the deformable portion 310. It should be noted that when the deformable portion 310 includes a first sealing section 312, the second cavity 303 is located between the first fin 321 and the first sealing section 312.

[0092] At least one of the surfaces of the first fin 321 facing the deformable portion 310 and the surface of the deformable portion 310 facing the first fin 321 is provided with a protrusion 311. When the deformable portion 310 is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal 300, the protrusion 311 of one of the first fin 321 and the deformable portion 310 can contact the other to seal the second notch 304. Specifically, the protrusion 311 here can be annular to surround the seal 300.

[0093] It should be noted that when the first fin 321 is provided with a protrusion 311, the protrusion 311 of the first fin 321 can contact the deformable part 310 when the seal 300 is subjected to axial pressure, so as to seal the second notch 304; when the deformable part 310 is provided with a protrusion 311, the protrusion 311 on the deformable part 310 can contact the first fin 321 when the seal 300 is subjected to axial pressure, so as to seal the second notch 304.

[0094] In this embodiment, at least one of the first fin 321 and the deformable portion 310 is provided with a protrusion 311. When the sealing member 300 is subjected to a sufficiently large axial pressure, the protrusion 311 will contact the first fin 321 or the deformable portion 310, thereby sealing the second opening. Since the protrusion 311 is provided on the surface of the first fin 321 facing the deformable portion 310 and / or the surface of the deformable portion 310 facing the first fin 321, the protrusion 311 can seal the second opening by causing the deformable portion 310 to undergo a small deformation along the axial direction. At this time, the second cavity 303 still has a large volume, so that the second cavity 303 has better performance in hindering heat transfer.

[0095] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 In an optional embodiment, the base portion 320 further includes:

[0096] The second fin 322 is connected to the outer or inner peripheral surface of the first fin 321. The second fin 322 extends radially along the seal 300, forming a clamping space 305 between the second fin 322 and the first fin 321. For example, the second fin 322 may be connected to the outer peripheral surface of the first fin 321 (e.g., ...). Figure 6 , Figure 8 , Figure 10 and Figure 12 Alternatively, the second fin 322 can also be connected to the inner circumferential surface of the first fin 321 (e.g., Figure 14 For example, the second fin 322 may be tilted relative to the horizontal plane at an angle of 15° to 30°.

[0097] Ice maker 200 includes:

[0098] The fixing part 210 is disposed around the sealing member 300 and is clamped in the clamping space 305. Specifically, the fixing part 210 is provided with a through hole, the sealing member 300 is disposed in the through hole, and the portion of the fixing part 210 adjacent to the edge of the through hole is clamped in the clamping space 305.

[0099] In this embodiment, a clamping space 305 is formed between the first fin 321 and the second fin 322. The fixing part 210 is clamped within the clamping space 305. Therefore, this embodiment can fix the sealing member 300 to the fixing part 210 through the structure of the sealing member 300 itself, without the need for additional fixing tools such as screws, thus facilitating the fixing of the sealing member 300 and reducing the installation difficulty. For example, because the sealing member 300 is elastic, the size of the through hole on the fixing part 210 can be different from the radial size of the clamping space 305. This allows the fixing part 210 to be positioned behind the clamping space 305 and compressed by the sealing member 300, thereby tightly fitting the sealing member 300 onto the fixing part 210.

[0100] Please see Figures 6 to 13 In one optional embodiment, the deformable portion 310 includes:

[0101] A first sealing section 312 and a second sealing section 313 are located on the side of the first sealing section 312 opposite to the first opening along the axial direction of the seal 300. Specifically, there is a gap between the first sealing section 312 and the second sealing section 313.

[0102] The connecting segment 314 is located between the first sealing segment 312 and the second sealing segment 313, and both ends of the connecting segment 314 are connected to the first sealing segment 312 and the second sealing segment 313, respectively. For example, the connecting segment 314 may be bent, which can give the connecting segment 314 greater strength and reduce the risk of collapse of the deformed part 310.

[0103] A first sealing section 312, a connecting section 314, and a second sealing section 313 surround and form a first cavity 301. A first notch 302 is located between the first sealing section 312 and the second sealing section 313. When the deformed portion 310 is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal 300, the first sealing section 312 can contact the second sealing section 313 to seal the first notch 302. It should be noted that the first notch 302 and the connecting section 314 are arranged opposite to each other along the radial direction of the seal 300.

[0104] The specific process is as follows: When the seal 300 is subjected to an axial force, the end of the second sealing section 313 away from the connecting section 314 deforms towards the inside of the first sealing section 312. During this process, the connecting section 314 also undergoes elastic deformation until the end of the second sealing section 313 away from the connecting section 314 contacts the first sealing section 312, thereby sealing the first notch 302 and making the first cavity 301 a sealed cavity. When the seal 300 is no longer subjected to an axial force, the connecting section 314 and the second sealing section 313 gradually recover their elastic deformation until the first notch 302 is opened.

[0105] Please see Figures 6 to 13 In one alternative embodiment, the first sealing segment 312 has a first surface facing the second sealing segment 313, the second sealing segment 313 has a second surface facing the first sealing segment 312, and at least one of the first surface and the second surface is provided with a sealing protrusion 315.

[0106] When the deformable portion 310 is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal 300, the sealing protrusion 315 of one of the first sealing section 312 and the second sealing section 313 can contact the other to seal the first notch 302. It should be noted that when the sealing protrusion 315 is provided on the first surface, the sealing protrusion 315 on the first surface can contact the second surface to seal the first notch 302; when the sealing protrusion 315 is provided on the second surface, the sealing protrusion 315 on the second surface can contact the first surface to seal the first notch 302.

[0107] In this embodiment, at least one of the first surface and the second surface is provided with a sealing protrusion 315. When the seal 300 is subjected to a sufficiently large axial pressure, the sealing protrusion 315 will contact the first surface or the second surface, thereby sealing the first opening. Since the sealing protrusion 315 is provided on the first surface and / or the second surface, the sealing protrusion 315 can seal the first opening by allowing the deformable part 310 to undergo a small deformation along the axial direction. At this time, the first cavity 301 still has a large volume, so that the first cavity 301 has better performance in hindering heat transfer.

[0108] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 7 In one optional embodiment, a bent structure is formed on the sealing protrusion 315, one end of the sealing protrusion 315 is connected to the second sealing section 313, and the other end of the sealing protrusion 315 extends toward the connecting section 314. It should be noted that the mating surface between the sealing protrusion 315 and the second sealing section 313 is formed by... Figure 6The dotted line at the top center indicates this. For example, the compressible full height of seal 300 can be 11.5 mm, with a theoretical compressibility limit of 5.5 mm, and an elastic range of 6 mm to accommodate the instability of actual installation gaps.

[0109] In this embodiment, a bent structure is formed on the sealing protrusion 315, and the sealing protrusion 315 extends towards the connecting section 314. Therefore, the sealing protrusion 315 has a large plate surface facing the first sealing section 312. When the sealing protrusion 315 contacts the second sealing section 313, the contact area between the first sealing section 312 and the second sealing section 313 is large. This can ensure the airtightness of the first cavity 301 and prevent the cold energy of the ice maker 200 from being lost to the outside.

[0110] Please see Figure 8 and Figure 9 In one optional embodiment, both the first surface and the second surface are provided with sealing protrusions 315, and the sealing protrusions 315 on the first surface and the sealing protrusions 315 on the second surface are offset along the axial direction of the seal 300.

[0111] When the seal 300 is subjected to axial pressure, the sealing protrusion 315 on the first surface can contact the second surface, and the sealing protrusion 315 on the second surface can contact the first surface. This forms a tortuous channel between the first sealing section 312 and the second sealing section 313, which ensures the airtightness of the first cavity 301 and prevents the cold energy of the ice maker 200 from escaping. Furthermore, since the area of ​​the end of the sealing protrusion 315 facing away from the second sealing section 313 is small, the contact area between the sealing protrusion 315 and the first or second surface is small. When the axial force on the seal 300 disappears, the deformable part 310 can quickly rebound to quickly adapt to changes in the gap between the ice maker 200 and other refrigerator components, such as the inner liner 400 or the door.

[0112] Please see Figure 10 and Figure 11 In one optional embodiment, a guide structure 316 is formed on the side of the first surface opposite to the connecting section 314. The sealing protrusion 315 and the guide structure 316 are disposed opposite each other along the axial direction of the seal 300. When the deformable portion 310 is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal 300, the guide structure 316 can guide the sealing protrusion 315 to the side of the first sealing section 312 opposite to the connecting section 314. Exemplarily, the guide structure 316 here can be a guide slope or a guide curved surface, and this application is not limited to this. It should be noted that the mating surface between the sealing protrusion 315 and the second sealing section 313 is formed by Figure 10 The dotted line at the top center indicates this.

[0113] In this embodiment, a guide structure 316 is formed on the side of the first sealing section 312 opposite to the connecting section 314. The guide structure 316 and the sealing protrusion 315 are correspondingly arranged along the axial direction of the seal 300. When the seal 300 is compressed, the sealing protrusion 315 will contact the guide structure 316 and be guided by the guide structure 316 to the side of the first sealing section 312 opposite to the connecting section 314, so as to contact the surface of the first sealing section 312 opposite to the connecting section 314, thereby sealing the first cavity 301. It can be seen that in this embodiment, the first cavity 301 is sealed by the cooperation between the surface of the first sealing section 312 opposite to the connecting section 314 and the sealing protrusion 315. When the sealing protrusion 315 seals the first cavity 301, the first sealing section 312 does not hinder the sealing protrusion 315 from continuing to move closer to the ice maker 200. Therefore, the seal 300 can also be compressed, that is, the compressibility of the seal 300 is large, which allows the seal 300 to adapt to more installation scenarios.

[0114] Please see Figure 12 and Figure 13 In one optional embodiment, the end of the second sealing segment 313 opposite to the connecting segment 314 forms a flange 317 extending toward the first opening. The sealing protrusion 315 is located radially outside the flange 317, and the flange 317 is located radially inside the first sealing segment 312. That is, along the axial direction of the seal 300, the flange 317 and the first sealing segment 312 are misaligned, and the distance between the flange 317 and the first sealing segment 312 along the radial direction of the seal 300 is greater than 0. Along the axial direction of the seal 300, the protrusion height of the sealing protrusion 315 is less than the protrusion height of the flange 317.

[0115] In this embodiment, when the seal 300 is subjected to axial pressure, the second sealing section 313 will undergo elastic deformation in the direction closer to the first sealing section 312. Since the flange 317 is located radially inside the first sealing section 312, the flange 317 will not be blocked by the first sealing section 312 during the deformation of the second sealing section 313. The second sealing section 313 cannot seal the first cavity 301 until the sealing protrusion 315 contacts the first surface of the first sealing section 312. At this time, the flange 317 and the first sealing section 312 are arranged radially opposite each other, and there is a gap between them.

[0116] When the seal 300 is no longer subjected to axial pressure, the second sealing section 313 will recover its deformation. The width of the gap between the flanged part 317 and the first sealing section 312 remains unchanged for a period of time. During this period, the amount of gas entering the first cavity 301 is approximately equal. This can make the rebound speed of the deformed part 310 equal, so that the stress distribution in the seal 300 is more uniform and the service life of the seal 300 is extended.

[0117] Please see Figure 12 and Figure 13 In one optional embodiment, the flange 317 has a raised rib 318 extending axially along the seal 300 on the surface facing the first sealing section 312. For example, the height of the raised rib 318 can be 0.3 mm and the width can be 1 mm.

[0118] In this embodiment, the surface of the flange 317 facing the first sealing section 312 is provided with a rib 318 extending axially along the seal 300. The rib 318 can be used to prevent the flange 317 from sticking to the first sealing section 312, thereby reducing the contact area between the flange 317 and the first sealing section 312, thus ensuring that air can enter the first cavity 301 during the rebound of the deformable part 310, and improving the rebound effect of the deformable part 310.

[0119] The foregoing embodiments of this application focus on describing the differences between various embodiments. As long as the different optimization features between embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form better embodiments. For the sake of brevity, these differences will not be elaborated upon here. The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art, under the guidance of this application, can make many modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, all of which fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, include: Box (100); An ice maker (200) is disposed inside the housing (100), the ice maker (200) having a first opening; A seal (300) is disposed around the first opening; The seal (300) includes: A deformable portion (310) is formed therein, having a first cavity (301) that surrounds the seal (300) around it. A first notch (302) is provided on the deformable portion (310), and the first notch (302) penetrates the deformable portion (310) radially through the seal (300). When the deformable portion (310) is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal (300), the deformable portion (310) is able to deform along the axial direction of the seal (300) to seal the first notch (302).

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The seal (300) also includes: The base portion (320) is annular, one end of which abuts against the ice maker (200), and the other end of which is connected to the deformable portion (310); A second cavity (303) is formed between the base portion (320) and the deformable portion (310) surrounding the seal (300). The second cavity (303) and the first cavity (301) are spaced apart and separated along the axial direction of the seal (300). The second cavity (303) has a second notch (304). When the deformable portion (310) is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal (300), the deformable portion (310) can contact the base portion (320) to seal the second notch (304).

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, One of the first notch (302) and the second notch (304) faces the radially inner side of the seal (300), and the other faces the radially outer side of the seal (300).

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The base portion (320) includes: A first fin (321) in the shape of an annulus is connected to the deformable part (310). The outer peripheral surface of the first fin (321) has a first dimension along the radial direction of the seal (300). The first dimension of the first fin (321) gradually increases from the deformable part (310) to the base part (320). Along the axial direction of the seal (300), the first fin (321) is disposed opposite to the deformable portion (310), and the second cavity (303) is located between the first fin (321) and the deformable portion (310). At least one of the surface of the first fin (321) facing the deformable portion (310) and the surface of the deformable portion (310) facing the first fin (321) is provided with a protrusion (311). When the deformed portion (310) is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal (300), the protrusion (311) of one of the first fin (321) and the deformed portion (310) having the protrusion (311) can contact the other to seal the second notch (304).

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The base portion (320) further includes: The second fin (322) is connected to the outer or inner peripheral surface of the first fin (321), the second fin (322) extends radially along the seal (300), and a clamping space (305) is formed between the second fin (322) and the first fin (321). The ice maker (200) includes: A fixing part (210) is provided around the seal (300) and clamped in the clamping space (305).

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deformable portion (310) includes: First sealing section (312); The second sealing section (313) is located on the side of the first sealing section (312) opposite to the first opening along the axial direction of the seal (300); A connecting segment (314) is located between the first sealing segment (312) and the second sealing segment (313), and both ends of the connecting segment (314) are connected to the first sealing segment (312) and the second sealing segment (313) respectively; The first sealing section (312), the connecting section (314), and the second sealing section (313) surround to form the first cavity (301), and the first notch (302) is located between the first sealing section (312) and the second sealing section (313). When the deformed portion (310) is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal (300), the first sealing section (312) can contact the second sealing section (313) to seal the first notch (302).

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first sealing segment (312) has a first surface facing the second sealing segment (313), the second sealing segment (313) has a second surface facing the first sealing segment (312), and at least one of the first surface and the second surface is provided with a sealing protrusion (315); When the deformed portion (310) is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal (300), the sealing protrusion (315) of one of the first sealing section (312) and the second sealing section (313) is able to contact the other to seal the first notch (302).

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that, A bent structure is formed on the sealing protrusion (315), one end of the sealing protrusion (315) is connected to the second sealing section (313), and the other end of the sealing protrusion (315) extends toward the connecting section (314); or, Both the first surface and the second surface are provided with the sealing protrusion (315), and the sealing protrusion (315) on the first surface and the sealing protrusion (315) on the second surface are offset along the axial direction of the seal (300); or, A guide structure (316) is formed on the side of the first surface away from the connecting section (314). The sealing protrusion (315) and the guide structure (316) are arranged opposite to each other along the axial direction of the seal (300). When the deformed part (310) is subjected to pressure along the axial direction of the seal (300), the guide structure (316) can guide the sealing protrusion (315) to the side of the first sealing section (312) away from the connecting section (314).

9. The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second sealing section (313) forms a flange (317) extending toward the first opening at one end away from the connecting section (314). The sealing protrusion (315) is located radially outside the flange (317), and the flange (317) is located radially inside the first sealing section (312). The distance between the flange (317) and the first sealing section (312) along the radial direction of the seal (300) is greater than 0. Along the axial direction of the seal (300), the protrusion height of the sealing protrusion (315) is less than the protrusion height of the flange (317).

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that, The flange (317) has a raised rib (318) extending axially along the seal (300) on the surface facing the first sealing section (312).

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