Refrigerator

Abstract

This utility model provides a refrigerator, belonging to the field of refrigerator technology. Through the design of the evaporator, air duct, and heating elements, during refrigerator cooling, the cold air generated by the evaporator can enter the freezing air duct, enter the freezer compartment through the freezing air inlet, and then return to the front of the evaporator through the freezing air return inlet. This ensures that the return air sequentially contacts the front, middle, and rear of the evaporator, resulting in a frost distribution where the frost accumulation is greater at the front than in the middle, and greater at the rear. To address this, heating elements are arranged in a denser-to-sparser pattern at the front, middle, and rear of the evaporator, effectively improving defrosting efficiency and uniformity. Furthermore, placing the evaporator at the bottom of the freezer compartment, compared to a design where the evaporator is located at the back, effectively increases the heat transfer path, reduces the amount of hot air entering the freezer compartment through the air inlet, lowers temperature fluctuations, and improves food preservation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of refrigerator technology, and mainly to a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] With economic development and the improvement of people's living standards, refrigerators have long become an indispensable household appliance in people's daily lives. Refrigerators mainly achieve the effect of long-term storage by lowering the temperature of food and delaying its spoilage.

[0003] A refrigerator generally includes a cabinet and a door. The cabinet has an upper cavity and a lower cavity that are spaced apart. The door includes an upper door and a lower door. The upper door is used to open and close the upper cavity, and the lower door is used to open and close the lower cavity.

[0004] When the evaporator inside a refrigerator is working, its surface temperature is low, causing free water molecules in the air to condense on it. Over time, this condensation forms a layer of frost, affecting the cooling effect and necessitating defrosting periodically. However, the inventors discovered that existing defrosting methods have at least the following problems: Electric defrosting, which uses a steel pipe heater, has a high defrosting temperature and relies mainly on heat radiation to transfer heat from bottom to top for defrosting. This results in uneven defrosting, and the heat utilization rate is low, with a significant portion of the heat overflowing into the storage compartment, greatly increasing the compartment temperature, which is detrimental to food preservation and also increases energy consumption during defrosting and subsequent cooling. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a refrigerator that, considering the distribution of frost on the evaporator, arranges heating tubes from dense to sparse in the front, middle, and rear parts of the evaporator. This can effectively improve the defrosting efficiency and uniformity of the refrigerator. At the same time, by relocating the evaporator to the bottom of the freezer compartment, compared to the solution where the evaporator is located on the back side of the freezer compartment, the heat conduction path can be effectively increased, reducing the amount of heat entering the freezer compartment from the air inlet, reducing temperature fluctuations in the freezer compartment, and improving the preservation effect of food.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] One aspect of this application provides a refrigerator, comprising:

[0008] The cabinet has an upper cavity and a lower cavity that are spaced apart. The upper cavity is a freezer compartment and the lower cavity is a refrigerator compartment.

[0009] A refrigeration air duct is disposed inside the cabinet and is connected to the freezer chamber to form a first air-cooled circulation loop;

[0010] The refrigeration air duct is located near the back side of the refrigeration chamber. At least one refrigeration air inlet is provided on the back side of the refrigeration chamber. A refrigeration air return outlet is provided at the bottom of the front side of the refrigeration chamber. The refrigeration air inlet is connected to the refrigeration air duct.

[0011] An evaporator is located at the bottom of the freezer compartment;

[0012] The evaporator is equipped with heating tubes, which are arranged from dense to sparse in the front, middle and rear parts of the evaporator.

[0013] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0014] In this embodiment, through the design of the evaporator, air duct, and heating elements, the cold air generated by the evaporator can enter the freezing air duct during refrigerator cooling, enter the freezer compartment through the freezing air inlet, and then return to the front of the evaporator through the freezing air return inlet. This ensures that the return air sequentially contacts the front, middle, and rear of the evaporator, resulting in a frost distribution where the frost accumulation is greater at the front than in the middle, and greater at the rear. To address this, heating elements are arranged in a denser-to-sparser pattern at the front, middle, and rear of the evaporator, effectively improving defrosting efficiency and uniformity. Furthermore, placing the evaporator at the bottom of the freezer compartment, compared to placing it at the back, effectively increases the heat transfer path, reduces the amount of hot air entering the freezer compartment through the air inlet, lowers temperature fluctuations, and improves food preservation.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, the refrigerator further includes:

[0016] A refrigerated air duct is installed inside the cabinet and is connected to the refrigerated compartment to form a second air-cooled circulation loop.

[0017] The refrigerated air duct is located near the back side of the refrigerated compartment. At least one refrigerated air inlet is provided on the back side of the refrigerated compartment. A refrigerated air return outlet is provided on the top of the front side of the refrigerated compartment. The refrigerated air inlet is connected to the refrigerated air duct.

[0018] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0019] In this embodiment, the refrigerated air inlet is located on the back side of the refrigerator compartment, and the refrigerated air return outlet is located at the top front side of the refrigerator compartment. This allows cold air to be directly introduced into the evaporator through the rear-side refrigerated air inlet, while the top-side refrigerated air return outlet utilizes the principle of natural hot air rising to form an efficient circulation. This convection arrangement of the rear-side air inlet and the top-side front-side air return outlet improves the utilization rate of cooling capacity, thereby enhancing the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerator compartment.

[0020] In some embodiments of this application, the refrigerator further includes:

[0021] An air supply duct is provided at the rear end of the evaporator, and the air outlet of the air supply duct is connected to the refrigeration duct and the freezing duct respectively.

[0022] A fan is provided near the air inlet of the air supply duct, and the fan is capable of drawing the cold air generated by the evaporator into the air supply duct.

[0023] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0024] In this embodiment, the evaporator is located at the bottom of the freezer compartment and is connected to both the refrigeration and freezing air ducts via the air outlet of the air supply duct. The freezing air duct connects to the freezer compartment to form a first air-cooled circulation loop, and the refrigeration air duct connects to the refrigerator compartment to form a second air-cooled circulation loop. This allows the cold air generated by the evaporator to be drawn into the air supply duct by a fan and then split into two paths: one path is delivered to the freezer compartment via the freezing air duct, and the other path is delivered to the refrigerator compartment via the refrigeration air duct, thus forming a dual-duct independent circulation system for refrigeration and freezing. Compared to the existing single-circulation air ducts for refrigeration and freezing, this effectively shortens the return air path of the lower cavity, reduces the air resistance of the lower cavity, and improves the air supply efficiency of the lower cavity.

[0025] In some embodiments of this application, the air inlet of the air supply duct is provided with a damper, which can close or open the air supply duct.

[0026] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0027] In this embodiment, a damper is installed at the air inlet of the air duct. When the refrigerator is cooling, the damper can be controlled to open, allowing the air-cooled circulation loop of the refrigerator and freezer to be connected, thus cooling the refrigerator and freezer compartments. When the refrigerator is defrosting, the damper can be controlled to close, thereby preventing the hot air generated during the defrosting process from being transferred to the refrigerator and freezer compartments through the air duct.

[0028] In some embodiments of this application, the refrigerated return air vent is provided with a linearly movable adjustment mechanism, which can adjust the opening of the refrigerated return air vent to adjust the return air volume of the refrigerated compartment.

[0029] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0030] In this embodiment, a linearly movable adjustment mechanism is installed at the refrigerator return air vent. This allows for adjustment of the refrigerator compartment's return air volume by regulating the opening of the vent, thereby adjusting the air distribution ratio between the refrigerator and freezer compartments. This enables more precise and effective control of the temperatures in both compartments.

[0031] In some embodiments of this application, the evaporator is disposed at an angle at the bottom of the freezer compartment.

[0032] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0033] In this embodiment, considering that the frost layer will melt into water after the evaporator defrosts, the evaporator is tilted at the bottom of the freezer compartment, that is, the mounting plane of the evaporator body forms an angle with the horizontal plane, which is conducive to the discharge of defrost water.

[0034] In some embodiments of this application, the evaporator is tilted at an angle ranging from 5 to 8 degrees.

[0035] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0036] In this embodiment, the optimal tilt angle range is 5 to 8 degrees. That is, a tilt angle of 5 degrees or greater allows for the basic drainage of defrost water, while a tilt angle of 8 degrees ensures that defrost water is almost completely drained. Setting the tilt angle within the range of 5 to 8 degrees guarantees the effective drainage of defrost water.

[0037] In some embodiments of this application, the evaporator is provided with a slot, and the heating tube is installed on the evaporator through the slot to form an integral assembly with the evaporator.

[0038] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0039] In this embodiment, the heating element is directly mounted on the evaporator via a slot, enabling molecular-level contact between the heating element and the evaporator fins, thus improving defrosting efficiency and saving defrosting energy. Integrating the heating element with the evaporator as a single unit improves space utilization.

[0040] In some embodiments of this application, the heating element is an aluminum tube heating element.

[0041] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0042] In this embodiment, the aluminum tube has high thermal conductivity per unit mass. The heating tube is made of aluminum tube. Compared with the existing defrosting method that uses thermal radiation, the direct contact defrosting method using aluminum tube heating tube can improve the defrosting uniformity and defrosting efficiency.

[0043] In some embodiments of this application, the upper end of the evaporator is provided with a cover plate to block the conduction of heat generated during defrosting.

[0044] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0045] In this embodiment of the application, by setting a cover plate at the upper end of the evaporator, that is, setting a cover plate between the evaporator and the freezer, the heat generated by the evaporator during defrosting is further prevented from being conducted to the freezer, which can further reduce the temperature fluctuation of the freezer and improve the preservation effect of food. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 This is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application.

[0047] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view.

[0048] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the side cross-sectional structure of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0049] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the air duct circulation of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0050] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a linear moving adjustment mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0051] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an evaporator provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0052] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the evaporator provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0053] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator structure including a drainage structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0054] The correspondence between the reference numerals and the component names is as follows:

[0055] 1. Cabinet body; 11. Refrigerator compartment; 12. Freezer compartment; 13. Cabinet door; 14. Evaporator housing; 15. Evaporator; 16. Freezer air duct; 17. Refrigerator air duct; 18. Air supply duct; 20. Linear moving adjustment mechanism; 21. Heating element.

[0056] 111. Refrigerated air inlet, 112. Refrigerated air return inlet, 121. Freezer air inlet, 122. Freezer air return inlet, 101. Drain outlet, 102. Drain pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0057] This utility model provides a refrigerator. To make the purpose, technical solution, and effects of this utility model clearer and more explicit, the following describes this utility model in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0058] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the 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.

[0059] 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 mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows for communication; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0060] In existing air-cooled refrigerators with top freezing and bottom storage, the evaporator 15 is located at the back of the freezer compartment 12. The air duct is designed as a single-circulation air path, that is, the fan blows the cold air provided by the evaporator into the freezer compartment through the air inlet of the freezer compartment. After passing through the freezer compartment, the cold air flows into the refrigerator compartment through the air outlet from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment. After passing through the medium in the refrigerator compartment, it flows out from the air outlet of the refrigerator compartment and enters the lower end of the evaporator.

[0061] When the evaporator inside a refrigerator is working, its surface temperature is low, causing free water molecules in the air to condense on it. Over time, this condensation forms a layer of frost, affecting the cooling effect and necessitating defrosting periodically. However, the inventors discovered that existing defrosting methods have at least the following problems: Electric defrosting, which uses a steel pipe heater, has a high defrosting temperature and relies mainly on heat radiation to transfer heat from bottom to top for defrosting. This results in uneven defrosting, low heat utilization, and a significant amount of heat overflows, greatly increasing the compartment temperature and hindering food preservation. It also increases energy consumption during defrosting and subsequent cooling.

[0062] Based on this, this application provides a refrigerator that, considering the frost distribution of the evaporator, arranges heating tubes from dense to sparse in the front, middle and rear of the evaporator, which can effectively improve the defrosting efficiency and defrosting uniformity of the refrigerator. At the same time, by relocating the evaporator to the bottom of the freezer compartment, compared with the solution of setting the evaporator on the back side of the freezer compartment, the heat conduction path can be effectively increased, the amount of heat entering the freezer compartment from the air inlet can be reduced, the temperature fluctuation of the freezer compartment can be reduced, and the food preservation effect can be improved.

[0063] Please see Figures 1 to 2 As shown, Figure 1 This is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view. The refrigerator provided in this embodiment may include a cabinet 1. The cabinet 1 may have a hollow structure such as a cuboid. The cabinet 1 forms the outer shell of the refrigerator. It should be noted that the cabinet 1 may also have a hollow shell structure of other shapes.

[0064] In some embodiments, the interior of the cabinet 1 may have a plurality of compartments, which may include a refrigerator compartment 11 and a freezer compartment 12. The refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12 may be configured as multiple storage compartments. The cabinet 1 may have an upper cavity and a lower cavity that are spaced apart vertically, the upper cavity being either the refrigerator compartment 11 or the freezer compartment 12, and the lower cavity being either the refrigerator compartment 11 or the freezer compartment 12.

[0065] In some embodiments, the refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12 can serve as independent storage spaces to meet different refrigeration needs, such as freezing and refrigeration, depending on the type of food, and to store items that require refrigeration or freezing. The refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12 can be arranged vertically.

[0066] In some embodiments, the refrigerator may include a refrigerator liner. A refrigerator compartment 11 and a freezer compartment 12 may be formed within the refrigerator liner.

[0067] Please see Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the refrigerator may include a door 13. The door 13 may be hinged to the front side of the body 1 for opening and closing the refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12.

[0068] It should be noted that multiple doors 13 can be provided. Each door 13 can be provided in a one-to-one correspondence with a refrigerator compartment 11 and a freezer compartment 12. One refrigerator compartment 11 can be provided with one or more doors 13, and one freezer compartment can also be provided with one or more doors 13.

[0069] In some embodiments, a compressor compartment may be provided inside the housing 1. A compressor may be installed inside the compressor compartment. The compressor compartment may be located in the bottom area of ​​the housing 1. The compressor compartment may be located below the rear side of the freezer compartment 12. The compressor, condenser, throttling device, etc., may be installed inside the housing 1.

[0070] In some embodiments, the refrigerator may include a refrigeration system. The refrigeration system may be located inside the refrigerator body 1. The refrigeration system provides cold air to the interior of the refrigerator to maintain a low-temperature environment in each of the refrigerator compartments 11 and the freezer compartment 12. A refrigeration system is a system that uses refrigerant circulation to lower the temperature, and mainly includes major components such as a compressor, condenser, throttling element, and evaporator. The refrigeration system achieves a cooling effect by circulating refrigerant to transfer heat from a low-temperature object to a high-temperature object.

[0071] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system may include a compressor (not shown). The compressor may serve as the power source for the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12, drawing in low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas and compressing it into high-temperature, high-pressure gas. The compressor may deliver the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant to the condenser.

[0072] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system may include a condenser (not shown). The condenser can be used to receive refrigerant flowing from the compressor, cooling the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas from the compressor and converting it into a liquid state. The condenser can transfer heat from the refrigerant to the surrounding air, thus lowering the temperature of the refrigerant.

[0073] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system may include a throttling device (not shown). A condenser can deliver condensed refrigerant to the throttling device. The throttling device may be a capillary tube. The throttling device can be used to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant.

[0074] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system may include an evaporator. A throttling device may deliver a throttled and depressurized refrigerant into the evaporator. The evaporator may be used for the refrigerant vapor to evaporate and boil, thereby absorbing heat from the surrounding medium.

[0075] In some embodiments, the compressor, condenser, throttling device, and evaporator can be connected in sequence to form a refrigeration circuit. The refrigerant can circulate within the refrigeration circuit to cool the refrigerator compartment 11 and freezer compartment 12 inside the cabinet 1.

[0076] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the side cross-sectional structure of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the refrigerator may include an evaporator 15, which is disposed between the refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12. That is, an evaporator housing cavity 14 is provided in the middle position between the refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12, and the evaporator 15 is disposed in the evaporator housing cavity 14.

[0077] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the airflow circulation of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application. The refrigerator may include a freezer air duct 16, which is disposed inside the cabinet 1. The freezer air duct 16 may be located on the back side of the freezer compartment 12. The freezer air duct 16 is located on the back side of the inner liner of the freezer compartment 12. The freezer air duct 16 is connected to the freezer compartment 12 and forms a first air-cooled circulation loop. The first air-cooled circulation loop is a cold air flow path for cooling the freezer compartment 12. The cold air in the freezer air duct 16 will circulate between the freezer air duct 16 and the freezer compartment 12 to cool the freezer compartment 12.

[0078] Reference Figure 4 The refrigerator may include a refrigeration air duct 17, which is disposed inside the cabinet 1. The refrigeration air duct 17 may be located on the back side of the refrigerator compartment 11, on the back side of the inner liner of the refrigerator compartment 11. The refrigeration air duct 17 is connected to the refrigerator compartment 11 and forms a second air-cooling circulation loop. The second air-cooling circulation loop is the cold air flow path used to cool the refrigerator compartment 11. The cold air in the refrigeration air duct 17 will circulate between the refrigeration air duct 17 and the refrigerator compartment 11 to cool the refrigerator compartment 11.

[0079] Reference Figure 4 The refrigerator may include an air supply duct 18, which is located at the rear end of the evaporator 15. The air outlet of the air supply duct 18 is connected to both the refrigerator air supply duct 17 and the freezer air supply duct 16. The air supply duct 18 can be connected to the evaporator housing cavity 14, and is located near the back of the evaporator housing cavity 14. After the cold air flows into the air supply duct 18, it can be divided into two paths: one path flows to the freezer air supply duct 16 and then enters the freezer compartment 12; the other path flows to the refrigerator air supply duct 17 and then enters the refrigerator compartment.

[0080] In some embodiments, the air inlet of the air supply duct 18 may be equipped with a damper, which can close or open the air supply duct 18. Because a damper is provided at the air inlet of the air supply duct 18, when the refrigerator is cooling, the damper can be controlled to open, allowing the air-cooled circulation loop for both the refrigerator and freezer compartments to be activated, thus cooling the refrigerator and freezer compartments. Conversely, when the refrigerator is defrosting, the damper can be controlled to close, thereby preventing the hot air generated during the defrosting process from being transferred to the refrigerator and freezer compartments through the air duct.

[0081] The refrigerator may include a fan (not shown in the figure), which is located near the air inlet of the air duct 18. The fan may be located in the evaporator housing 14 and is positioned on the back side of the evaporator 15. The fan is located between the air inlet of the air duct 18 and the evaporator 15 to draw the cold air generated by the evaporator 15 into the air duct 18, and then direct it to the freezer duct 16 and the refrigerator duct 17, respectively.

[0082] In some embodiments, the fan may include a fan motor and fan blades. The fan motor drives the fan blades to rotate and generate airflow to carry the cooling capacity of the evaporator to the air duct. The fan may be a centrifugal fan or a cross-flow fan; in order to increase the volume, an ultra-thin centrifugal fan may be used.

[0083] In this embodiment, only one fan needs to be installed in the evaporator cavity 14 to simultaneously distribute cooling capacity to the freezer compartment 12 and the refrigerator compartment 11. Compared with the solution that requires installing one fan at the air inlet of the refrigerator compartment 11 and the air inlet of the freezer compartment respectively, this embodiment can reduce the number of fans installed and reduce costs.

[0084] In this embodiment, the evaporator 15 is positioned between the refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12, and is connected to the refrigerator air duct 17 and the freezer air duct 16 respectively through the air outlet of the air supply duct 18. The freezer air duct 16 is connected to the freezer compartment 12 to form a first air-cooled circulation loop, and the refrigerator air duct 17 is connected to the refrigerator compartment 11 to form a second air-cooled circulation loop. This allows the cold air generated by the evaporator 15 to be drawn into the air supply duct 18 by a fan and then split into two paths: one path is transported to the freezer compartment 12 through the freezer air duct 16, and the other path is transported to the refrigerator compartment 11 through the refrigerator air duct 17, thus forming a dual-duct independent circulation system for refrigeration and freezing. Compared with the existing single-circulation air duct for refrigeration and freezing, this effectively shortens the return air path of the lower cavity, reduces the air resistance of the lower cavity, and improves the air supply efficiency of the lower cavity.

[0085] Continue to refer to Figure 4 The refrigeration air duct 16 is located near the back side of the freezer compartment 12, and can be situated on the back side of the inner liner of the freezer compartment 12. At least one refrigeration air inlet 121 is provided on the back side of the freezer compartment 12. If the freezer compartment is divided into multiple freezer chambers, each freezer chamber can correspond to one refrigeration air inlet 121. A refrigeration return air inlet 122 is provided at the bottom of the front side of the freezer compartment 12. Cold air flows out from the refrigeration return air inlet 122 and enters the evaporator housing cavity 14, meaning the cold air flows out from the refrigeration return air inlet 122 and returns to the front end of the evaporator 15 in the evaporator housing cavity 14. Each refrigeration air inlet 121 is connected to the refrigeration air duct 16, so that the cold air flowing into the refrigeration air duct 16 can flow into the refrigeration chamber 12 through each refrigeration air inlet 121, exchange heat with the medium in the refrigeration chamber 12, and then flow out from the refrigeration return air inlet 122 at the bottom front side of the refrigeration chamber 12 to the front end of the evaporator 15.

[0086] Specifically, the fan draws the cold air generated by the evaporator 15 into the air supply duct 18, and then into the refrigeration duct 16. The cold air in the refrigeration duct 16 flows into the freezer chamber 12 through the refrigeration air inlet 121. As the cold air flows into the freezer chamber 12, it will undergo cold transfer with the air in the freezer chamber 12. After the cold transfer is completed, the original air temperature in the freezer chamber 12 is reduced. Finally, some of the air in the freezer chamber 12 will flow back to the front end of the evaporator 15 through the refrigeration return air inlet 122 to continue to absorb the cold energy emitted from the evaporator 15. After absorbing the cold energy, new cold air is formed and then drawn into the air supply duct 18 by the fan, thus completing one air-cooling cycle.

[0087] The refrigeration air inlet 121 is located on the back side of the freezer compartment 12, and the refrigeration air return outlet 122 is located at the bottom front side of the freezer compartment 12. This allows cold air generated by the evaporator 15 to be directly introduced through the refrigeration air inlet 121 on the back side. After heat exchange with the medium in the freezer compartment 12, the cold air flows back to the front end of the evaporator 15 through the refrigeration air return outlet 122 at the bottom front side of the freezer compartment 12, forming a first air-cooled circulation loop. Positioning the refrigeration air return outlet 122 at the bottom front side of the freezer compartment 12 utilizes the sinking characteristic of cold air to achieve efficient airflow circulation, improving the utilization rate of cooling capacity and thus increasing the heat exchange efficiency of the freezer compartment.

[0088] Continue to refer to Figure 4 The refrigerated air duct 17 is located near the back side of the refrigerator compartment 11. The refrigerated air duct 17 can be located on the back side of the refrigerator compartment 11, specifically on the back side of the inner liner of the refrigerator compartment 11. At least one refrigerated air inlet 111 is provided on the back side of the refrigerator compartment 11. If the refrigerator compartment is divided into multiple refrigerator sections, each refrigerator section can correspond to one refrigerated air inlet 111. A refrigerated return air vent 112 is provided at the top front side of the refrigerator compartment, allowing cold air to flow out from the refrigerated return air vent 112 and return to the front end of the evaporator 15 in the evaporator housing cavity 14. Each refrigerated air inlet 111 is connected to the refrigerated air duct 17, allowing the cold air flowing into the refrigerated air duct 17 to flow into the refrigerator compartment 11 through each refrigerated air inlet 111. After exchanging heat with the medium in the refrigerator compartment 11, the cold air then flows out from the refrigerated return air vent 112 at the top front side of the refrigerator compartment 11 to the front end of the evaporator 15.

[0089] Specifically, the fan draws the cold air generated by the evaporator 15 into the air supply duct 18, and then into the refrigeration duct 17. The cold air in the refrigeration duct 17 flows into the refrigeration compartment 11 through the refrigeration air inlet 111. As the cold air flows into the refrigeration compartment 11, it will transfer cold air with the air in the refrigeration compartment 11. After the cold transfer is completed, the original air temperature in the refrigeration compartment 11 will be reduced. Finally, some of the air in the refrigeration compartment 11 will flow back to the front end of the evaporator 15 through the refrigeration return air inlet 112 to continue to absorb the cold energy emitted by the evaporator 15. After absorbing the cold energy, new cold air is formed and then drawn into the air supply duct 18 by the fan, thus completing one air-cooled cycle.

[0090] The refrigerator air inlet 111 is located on the back side of the refrigerator compartment 11, and the refrigerator return air inlet 112 is located on the top front side of the refrigerator compartment 11. This allows cold air generated by the evaporator 15 to be directly introduced through the rear-side refrigerator air inlet 111. After heat exchange with the medium inside the refrigerator compartment 11, the cold air returns to the front of the evaporator 15 through the top front air inlet 112, forming a second air-cooled circulation loop. The placement of the refrigerator return air inlet 112 on the top front side of the refrigerator compartment 11 utilizes the principle of natural hot air rising to create a highly efficient airflow circulation. The convection layout of the rear-side air inlet and the top front air return inlet improves the utilization rate of cooling capacity, thereby increasing the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerator compartment.

[0091] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a linearly movable adjustment mechanism provided in one embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, the refrigerator return air vent 112 is provided with a linearly movable adjustment mechanism 20. The linearly movable adjustment mechanism 20 can adjust the opening of the refrigerator return air vent 112 to adjust the return air volume of the refrigerator compartment 11, thereby adjusting the air distribution ratio between the refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12 (or the refrigerator air duct 16 and the freezer air duct). For example, by adjusting the linearly movable adjustment mechanism 20 to increase the opening of the refrigerator return air vent 112, the return air volume of the refrigerator compartment can be increased, thereby improving the air distribution ratio of the refrigerator compartment. Different air distribution ratios correspond to different cold air circulation rates in the refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12, resulting in different cooling rates in the refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12.

[0092] For example, the initial air distribution ratio is 50% for the freezer and 50% for the refrigerator. By adjusting the linear moving adjustment mechanism 20 to increase the opening of the refrigerator return air vent 112, the air distribution ratio can be adjusted to 70% for the refrigerator and 30% for the freezer. Alternatively, by adjusting the linear moving adjustment mechanism 20 to decrease the opening of the refrigerator return air vent 112, the air distribution ratio can be adjusted to 20% for the refrigerator and 80% for the freezer.

[0093] In this embodiment, the linear moving regulating mechanism 20 can be adjusted according to cooling requirements. If rapid cooling of the refrigerator compartment 11 is required, the return air volume of the refrigerator compartment 11 can be increased by adjusting the linear moving regulating mechanism 20 to accelerate the cold air circulation in the refrigerator compartment 11, thereby accelerating the cooling rate of the refrigerator compartment 11. Conversely, if rapid cooling of the freezer compartment 12 is required, the return air volume of the refrigerator compartment 11 can be decreased by adjusting the linear moving regulating mechanism 20, thereby increasing the air distribution ratio of the freezer compartment, accelerating the cold air circulation in the freezer compartment 12, and thus accelerating the cooling rate of the freezer compartment 12.

[0094] In some embodiments, the linear motion adjustment mechanism 20 can be an adjustment slider or an adjustment lever. By linear displacement, such as moving the slider or lever horizontally or vertically, the opening degree of the refrigerated return air vent 112 can be adjusted. Taking a horizontally set adjustment slider as an example, by moving the slider left or right, the opening degree of the refrigerated return air vent 112 can be adjusted to be larger or smaller accordingly.

[0095] Specifically, when the ambient temperature of the refrigerator is high, or when the user places a large amount of food in the refrigerator compartment 11 and needs to cool it down quickly, the opening of the refrigerator return air vent 112 can be increased using the linear adjustment mechanism 20 to accelerate the cooling speed of the refrigerator compartment 11. When the ambient temperature of the refrigerator is low, the opening of the refrigerator return air vent 112 can be decreased using the linear adjustment mechanism 20 to slow down the cooling speed of the refrigerator compartment 11. Similarly, when the user wants to cool the freezer compartment 12 quickly, the opening of the refrigerator return air vent 112 can be decreased using the linear adjustment mechanism 20 to accelerate the cooling speed of the freezer compartment 12.

[0096] In this embodiment, the opening of the refrigerator return air vent 112 is adjusted by a linear moving adjustment mechanism 20 to regulate the return air volume of the refrigerator compartment 11, thereby adjusting the air distribution ratio between the refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12. This allows for more precise and effective control of the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 12.

[0097] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 4 The freezer compartment 12 is located above the refrigerator compartment 11, and the evaporator 15 is located at the bottom of the freezer compartment 12.

[0098] In this embodiment, considering that the evaporator 15 generates heat (hot air) during defrosting, this hot air rises and affects the temperature of the upper cavity of the refrigerator, causing temperature fluctuations. If the upper cavity is the refrigerator compartment 11, the refrigerator compartment 11 itself has a higher temperature (compared to the freezer compartment), which can easily cause the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 11 to be too high, affecting the preservation of food inside. However, if the freezer compartment 12 is located above the refrigerator compartment 11, i.e., the upper cavity is the freezer compartment 12, then because the freezer compartment 12 itself has a very low temperature, even if the heat generated by the evaporator 15 during defrosting causes temperature fluctuations in the freezer compartment 12, these temperature fluctuations will not significantly affect the low temperature state of the freezer compartment (even if the temperature rises slightly, the freezer compartment can still maintain a low temperature state), meaning it will not affect the preservation of food inside the freezer compartment 12.

[0099] Furthermore, since the evaporator 15 is located at the bottom of the freezer compartment 12, the hot air generated by the evaporator 15 during defrosting must first flow upwards and then enter the freezer compartment 12 through the freezer air inlet 121 on the back side of the freezer compartment 12. Compared to the design where the evaporator 15 is located on the back side of the freezer compartment 12, the hot air generated by the evaporator 15 during defrosting can directly enter the freezer compartment 12 through the freezer air inlet 121 on the back side of the freezer compartment 12. The hot air transmission path is longer, making it more difficult for the heat generated during the defrosting process to be transferred to the freezer compartment 12 through the freezer air inlet 121. This further reduces the impact of the evaporator 15's defrosting process on the temperature inside the freezer compartment 12.

[0100] In some embodiments, to increase the practical volume of the refrigerator, the evaporator 15 can be selected as thin as possible, such as an evaporator with a thickness of 40 mm and an outer diameter of 6.35 mm. It is understood that this application uses, but is not limited to, small-diameter / aluminum tube evaporators. Optionally, to improve heat exchange efficiency, copper tube evaporators can be used. Considering cost factors, evaporators of other thicknesses such as 30 mm can also be selected. This invention does not restrict or protect the selection of the evaporator 15.

[0101] In some embodiments, to further reduce the impact of the defrosting process of the evaporator 15 on the temperature inside the freezer compartment 12, a cover plate can be provided at the upper end of the evaporator 15. The cover plate can further block the heat generated by the evaporator 15 during defrosting from being conducted to the freezer compartment 12.

[0102] Reference Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an evaporator provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 6 As shown, the evaporator 15 is equipped with heating tubes 21, which are arranged from dense to sparse in the front, middle and rear parts of the evaporator 15.

[0103] In this embodiment, in the dual-duct independent circulation airflow design, the freezer return air inlet 122 is located at the bottom front of the freezer compartment 12, allowing the cold air entering the freezer compartment 12 to exchange heat with the medium inside the freezer compartment 12 before returning to the front of the evaporator 15 through the freezer return air inlet 122 at the bottom front of the freezer compartment 12. The refrigerator return air inlet 112 is located at the top front of the refrigerator compartment 11, allowing the cold air entering the refrigerator compartment 11 to exchange heat with the medium inside the refrigerator compartment 11 before returning to the front of the evaporator 15 through the refrigerator return air inlet 112 at the top front of the refrigerator compartment 11. It can be seen that the return air from both the freezer compartment 12 and the refrigerator compartment 11 is at the front of the evaporator 15, and the return air flows from the front to the rear of the evaporator 15. This results in more severe frost buildup at the front of the evaporator 15, with the amount of frost decreasing sequentially from the middle to the rear of the evaporator 15. That is, the amount of frost at the front of the evaporator 15 is greater than the amount of frost in the middle of the evaporator 15, which is greater than the amount of frost at the rear of the evaporator 15. In this application, the heating tubes 21 are arranged from dense to sparse at the front, middle, and rear of the evaporator 15. Specifically, the heating tubes 21 are more densely arranged at the front of the evaporator 15, less densely arranged in the middle, and sparsely arranged at the rear. This improves defrosting uniformity, increases defrosting efficiency, and shortens defrosting time.

[0104] In some embodiments, the evaporator 15 may be provided with a slot, through which the heating tube 21 can be mounted on the evaporator 15 to form an integral assembly with the evaporator 15. Specifically, the heating tube 21 being directly mounted on the evaporator 15 via the slot allows for molecular-level contact between the heating tube 21 and the evaporator 15 fins, improving defrosting efficiency and saving defrosting energy. Integrating the heating tube 21 with the evaporator 15 also improves space utilization.

[0105] In some embodiments, the heating element 21 may be an aluminum tube heating element. Aluminum tubes have high thermal conductivity per unit mass, allowing for direct contact defrosting. Compared to existing defrosting methods that use thermal radiation, using an aluminum tube heating element 21 improves defrosting uniformity and defrosting efficiency.

[0106] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the evaporator provided in the embodiment of this application. Considering that the frost layer on the evaporator 15 will melt into water after defrosting, the evaporator 21 can be tilted and installed at the bottom of the freezer compartment 12, that is, the mounting plane of the evaporator 15 body forms an angle with the horizontal plane, which is conducive to the drainage of defrost water.

[0107] In some embodiments, the tilt angle of the evaporator is set within the range of 5 to 8 degrees. The optimal tilt angle range is 5 to 8 degrees; a tilt angle of 5 degrees or greater ensures that defrost water is mostly drained, while a tilt angle of 8 degrees results in near-zero defrost water residue. Setting the tilt angle within the range of 5 to 8 degrees guarantees effective drainage of defrost water.

[0108] Reference Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator structure including a drainage structure according to an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, the freezer compartment 12 is located above the refrigerator compartment 11, that is, the upper cavity of the refrigerator is the freezer compartment 12, and the evaporator cavity 14 of the upper cavity of the freezer compartment 12 is provided with a drain outlet 101, which is located at the lowest point of the inclined surface of the evaporator cavity 14. The drain outlet 101 is connected to a drain pipe 102, which is located near the back side of the refrigerator compartment 11. In this embodiment of the application, since the defrost water is drained downwards by gravity and the drain pipe 102 is located on the back side of the refrigerator compartment 11, the problem of the drain pipe freezing can be ignored. Compared with the evaporator being located at the top of the freezer compartment and the drain pipe being located on the back side of the freezer compartment 12 and the refrigerator compartment 11, the drain pipe may freeze, thus requiring an additional anti-icing structure (such as a heating wire). The drainage structure of this embodiment of the application does not require an additional anti-icing structure, which can reduce costs.

[0109] It is understood that those skilled in the art can make equivalent substitutions or changes based on the technical solution and inventive concept of this utility model, and all such substitutions or changes should fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, include: The cabinet has an upper cavity and a lower cavity that are spaced apart. The upper cavity is a freezer compartment and the lower cavity is a refrigerator compartment. A refrigeration air duct is disposed inside the cabinet and is connected to the freezer chamber to form a first air-cooled circulation loop; The refrigeration air duct is located near the back side of the refrigeration chamber. At least one refrigeration air inlet is provided on the back side of the refrigeration chamber. A refrigeration air return outlet is provided at the bottom of the front side of the refrigeration chamber. The refrigeration air inlet is connected to the refrigeration air duct. An evaporator is located at the bottom of the freezer compartment; The evaporator is equipped with heating tubes, which are arranged from dense to sparse in the front, middle and rear parts of the evaporator.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator also includes: A refrigerated air duct is installed inside the cabinet and is connected to the refrigerated compartment to form a second air-cooled circulation loop. The refrigerated air duct is located near the back side of the refrigerated compartment. At least one refrigerated air inlet is provided on the back side of the refrigerated compartment. A refrigerated air return outlet is provided on the top of the front side of the refrigerated compartment. The refrigerated air inlet is connected to the refrigerated air duct.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The refrigerator also includes: An air supply duct is provided at the rear end of the evaporator, and the air outlet of the air supply duct is connected to the refrigeration duct and the freezing duct respectively. A fan is provided near the air inlet of the air supply duct, and the fan is capable of drawing the cold air generated by the evaporator into the air supply duct.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The air inlet of the air supply duct is equipped with a damper, which can close or open the air supply duct.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The refrigerated return air vent is equipped with a linear movable adjustment mechanism, which can adjust the opening of the refrigerated return air vent to adjust the return air volume of the refrigerated compartment.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The evaporator is inclined and positioned at the bottom of the freezer compartment.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The tilt angle of the evaporator is set in the range of 5 to 8 degrees.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The evaporator is provided with a slot, and the heating tube is installed on the evaporator through the slot to form an integral assembly with the evaporator.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 8, characterized in that, The heating element is an aluminum tube heating element.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 8, characterized in that, The evaporator is equipped with a cover plate at the top to prevent heat conduction during defrosting.

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