Heating assembly and refrigerator

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, and provides a heating assembly and a refrigerator. The heating assembly comprises a heating pipe, a heat conduction piece and a heat shrink sleeve. One end of the heat conduction piece is connected with the heating pipe, and the other end of the heat conduction piece is used for heat conduction connection with a drain pipe. The heat shrink sleeve is formed with a mounting cavity. The heat conduction piece is mounted in the mounting cavity, and the heating pipe is arranged in the mounting cavity, so that the heat conduction piece and the heating pipe are fixed by heat shrinkage. After the heat shrink sleeve is heated when the heat conduction piece and the heating pipe are placed in the mounting cavity, the heat shrink sleeve is radially shrunk after being heated, the inner wall of the heat shrink sleeve tightly wraps the outer wall surface of the heating pipe, the heat conduction piece is firmly fixed on the heating pipe, the possibility of rotation and movement of the heat conduction piece is reduced, the mounting stability of the heat conduction piece is improved, and the risk of failure of the heat conduction piece is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of refrigeration equipment technology, and particularly relates to a heating component and a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, the drain pipe of a refrigerator is prone to freezing. Existing preventive measures include adding a heat-conducting strip or heat-conducting aluminum plate to the drain outlet. These are in contact with the heater and are usually fixed to the heater pipe or evaporator pipe. Because the pipe is round, if it is only fixed to a single pipe, it will move or rotate, resulting in unstable installation and a certain risk of failure. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides a heating component and a refrigerator to solve the problem of unstable installation of the heat-conducting components in existing refrigerators.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a heating assembly, including:

[0005] Heating element;

[0006] A heat-conducting component, one end of which is connected to the heating pipe, and the other end of which is used for a heat-conducting connection with the drain pipe;

[0007] A heat-shrink sleeve is formed with an installation cavity. The heat-conducting component is installed in the installation cavity, and the heating tube passes through the installation cavity so that the heat-conducting component and the heating tube are heat-shrinkably fixed.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the heat shrink sleeve has a first opening and a second opening that are disposed opposite to each other. The first opening is used for the heat-conducting element to pass through and enter the mounting cavity, and the heat-conducting element is installed in the second opening.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the heat-conducting element includes:

[0010] The mounting section is located inside the mounting cavity. When the heat-conducting component is heat-shrinkably fixed to the heating tube, the mounting section abuts against the outer wall of the heating tube.

[0011] A heat-conducting section is connected to the mounting section, the heat-conducting section extends out of the second opening and at least partially passes through the drain pipe.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the cross-sectional dimension of the mounting section is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the second opening, which is used to restrict the heat-conducting element from detaching from the heat-shrink sleeve.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the mounting segment is an arc-shaped segment, and the curvature of the mounting segment is equal to the curvature of the outer wall surface of the heating tube.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the heat-conducting section is connected to the middle of the mounting section;

[0015] And / or, the mounting section and the heat-conducting section are an integral structure.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, a heat-conducting layer is provided on the contact surface between the mounting section and the heating tube;

[0017] And / or, the inner wall of the heat shrink sleeve is provided with a heat-conducting layer.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, the inner wall of the heat shrink sleeve is provided with a hot melt adhesive layer, which is configured to melt when the heat shrink sleeve is heated and shrink, and to bond and fix the heat shrink sleeve, the heat-conducting component and the heating tube after cooling.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, a limiting portion is provided on the outer wall surface of the heating tube, and when the heat shrink sleeve is inserted into and installed on the heating tube, the limiting portion abuts against the heat shrink sleeve.

[0020] Secondly, this application also provides a refrigerator, which includes a drain pipe and the heating assembly described in the above embodiments, wherein the heat-conducting element is at least partially disposed within the drain pipe.

[0021] The heating assembly provided in this application includes a heating tube, a heat-conducting element, and a heat-shrink sleeve. One end of the heat-conducting element is connected to the heating tube, and the other end is used for thermal connection with a drain pipe. The heat-shrink sleeve has an installation cavity, in which the heat-conducting element is installed, and the heating tube passes through the installation cavity to heat-shrink and fix the heat-conducting element and the heating tube. When the heat-conducting element and the heating tube are placed together in the installation cavity, the heat-shrink sleeve is heated. Upon heating, the heat-shrink sleeve contracts radially, and its inner wall tightly wraps around the outer wall of the heating tube, firmly fixing the heat-conducting element to the heating tube. This reduces the possibility of rotation and movement of the heat-conducting element, improves the installation stability of the heat-conducting element, and reduces the risk of heat-conducting element failure.

[0022] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] To gain a more complete understanding of this application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals denote the same parts.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the heating assembly provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the heating assembly provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the heat-conducting component and the heat-shrink sleeve provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat shrink sleeve provided in the embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat-conducting component provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure label:

[0031] 100. Heating element;

[0032] 200. Thermal conductive component; 210. Mounting section; 220. Thermal conductive section;

[0033] 300, heat shrink sleeve; 301, mounting cavity; 310, first opening; 320, second opening. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate this application, but should not be used to limit the scope of this application.

[0035] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application 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 the embodiments of this application. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0036] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" 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 or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0037] In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0038] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiments of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0039] In related technologies, frost forms on the surface of the evaporator during the cooling process in a refrigerator. To maintain cooling efficiency, defrosting is required periodically. The water produced during defrosting flows out through the drain outlet and drain pipe at the bottom of the evaporator. Because the temperature at the drain outlet is low, the water flowing out is very prone to refreezing there, forming an ice blockage. This prevents the defrost water from draining, causing it to overflow into the refrigerator interior or freezer compartment, affecting the user experience and even damaging electrical components.

[0040] To address this issue, existing technologies typically employ heat-conducting strips (or heat-conducting aluminum plates) to transfer heat from the heater to the drain area, preventing icing. However, their assembly method has inherent drawbacks:

[0041] Insecure single-pipe fixing: If the heat transfer strip is fixed only to a single heating pipe or evaporator pipe, simple methods such as clips, spot welding, or clamps are usually used. Since the pipe is cylindrical, the heat transfer strip is prone to axial movement and circumferential rotation, causing its relative position to the drain outlet to shift, resulting in decreased heat transfer efficiency or even failure. This leads to poor assembly consistency and poses a high risk.

[0042] Dual-tube fixing suffers from poor versatility: To address the issue of unstable single-tube fixing, some designs simultaneously fix the heat-conducting strip to two parallel pipes (such as the heating element and the evaporator element). While this approach improves stability, it introduces new problems: different refrigerator models and specifications have variations in the spacing and diameter of the heating and evaporator pipes. This necessitates designing a custom heat-conducting strip for each spacing combination, resulting in a large amount of material variation, increased design and molding costs, and low versatility.

[0043] This application provides a heating assembly and a refrigerator to solve the problem of unstable installation of heat-conducting components in existing refrigerators. The following will be discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Figures 1-5 Please provide an explanation.

[0044] The heating assembly provided in this application embodiment is referenced. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes a heating tube 100, a heat-conducting element 200, and a heat-shrink sleeve 300. One end of the heat-conducting element 200 is connected to the heating tube 100, and the other end of the heat-conducting element 200 is used for heat-conducting connection with a drain pipe. The heat-shrink sleeve 300 forms an installation cavity 301, the heat-conducting element 200 is installed in the installation cavity 301, and the heating tube 100 passes through the installation cavity 301 so that the heat-conducting element 200 and the heating tube 100 are heat-shrinkably fixed.

[0045] For example, the heating element 100 is a metal cylindrical tube, and the heat-conducting element 200 can be in the form of a strip or a plate. One end of the heat-conducting element 200 is connected to the heating element 100, and the other end can extend to the drain outlet or abut against the drain pipe. This is used to efficiently conduct the heat generated by the heating element 100 to the defrost drain outlet or drain pipe of the refrigerator, preventing the defrost water from freezing due to low temperature when it flows through this area. The heat-conducting element 200 is made of a metal material with excellent thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, copper, or their alloys. It can also be made of thermally conductive graphite sheets, high thermal conductivity composite materials, etc. This embodiment does not specifically limit the choice of these materials.

[0046] The heat shrink sleeve 300 serves as a fixing and heat-conducting medium to securely fix the heat-conducting component 200 to the heating tube 100 and ensure good thermal contact between the two. The heat shrink sleeve 300 has a through mounting cavity 301 inside. The inner diameter of the mounting cavity 301 in its unshrinked state is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the heating tube 100 to facilitate insertion. When heated, the heat shrink sleeve 300 can shrink uniformly in the radial direction, thereby generating a strong clamping force and firmly pressing the connecting end of the heat-conducting component 200 against the surface of the heating tube 100.

[0047] Understandably, after the heat shrink sleeve 300 shrinks, it forms a 360° radial clamping force on the heating tube 100 and the heat-conducting component 200. This wrapping fixing method is far more reliable than traditional point contact or line contact fixing methods such as clips and spot welding. The heat-conducting component 200 is firmly locked onto the heating tube 100, and will not experience axial movement or circumferential rotation during assembly, transportation, or long-term operation and vibration of the refrigerator, ensuring the stability and reliability of the heat conduction path and avoiding the risk of heat conduction failure due to displacement. Moreover, this fixing structure relies only on a single heating tube 100 for fixation, without considering the difference in the spacing between the two tubes. As long as the outer diameter of the heating tube 100 is within the applicable range of the heat shrink sleeve 300, the same specification of heat shrink sleeve 300 and heat-conducting component 200 can be used in refrigerator products of different models and different pipe layouts, resulting in high versatility and lower cost.

[0048] In addition, the strong shrinkage force of the heat shrink sleeve 300 ensures a tight contact between the heat-conducting component 200 and the heating tube 100, greatly reducing contact thermal resistance and improving thermal conductivity and efficiency.

[0049] In an alternative implementation, refer to 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the heat shrink sleeve 300 has a first opening 310 and a second opening 320 that are oppositely arranged. The first opening 310 is used for the heat-conducting component 200 to pass through and enter the mounting cavity 301, and the heat-conducting component 200 is installed in the second opening 320.

[0050] Optionally, the first opening 310 is formed on the wall of the heat shrink tubing and can be circular, elliptical, rectangular, or other shapes, serving as an inlet. The diameter of the first opening 310 is slightly larger than the overall size of the heat-conducting element 200 to ensure that the heat-conducting element 200 can pass through smoothly, but it should not be too large to avoid affecting the overall sealing and structural strength of the sleeve after heat shrinking. During assembly, the heat-conducting element 200 passes through this first opening 310 from the outside and enters the mounting cavity 301 of the heat shrink sleeve 300.

[0051] A second opening 320 is provided on the other side of the heat shrink sleeve 300 opposite to the first opening 310. After the heat-conducting element 200 passes through the first opening 310, it can be partially embedded or stuck into the second opening 320. On the one hand, the heat-conducting element 200 is pre-positioned on the heat shrink sleeve 300 and cannot move or rotate arbitrarily along the length direction. On the other hand, the part of the heat-conducting element 200 that passes through the second opening 320 can extend into the drain pipe for heat conduction.

[0052] In this embodiment, a temporary pre-assembled assembly is formed by the heat-conducting component 200 and the heating tube 100. This pre-assembled assembly is then fitted onto the heating tube 100 as a whole at a designated position. The heat shrink sleeve 300 is uniformly heated using a heat gun or other heating tools to firmly fix the entire assembly onto the heating tube 100.

[0053] In one alternative implementation, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the heat-conducting component 200 includes an installation section 210 and a heat-conducting section 220. The installation section 210 is located inside the installation cavity 301. When the heat-conducting component 200 is heat-shrinkably fixed to the heating tube 100, the installation section 210 abuts against the outer wall of the heating tube 100. The heat-conducting section 220 is connected to the installation section 210, and the heat-conducting section 220 extends out of the second opening 320 and at least partially passes through the drain pipe.

[0054] In this embodiment, after assembly, the mounting section 210 is completely enclosed inside the mounting cavity 301 of the heat shrink sleeve 300. After installation, the mounting section 210 abuts against the outer wall of the heating tube 100 to conduct heat, transferring the heat to the heat-conducting section 220, which in turn conducts the heat to the drain pipe, preventing the drain pipe from freezing.

[0055] Optionally, the end of the heat-conducting section 220 can be designed in a spiral shape to increase the heat-conducting area and improve the ice-melting efficiency.

[0056] In one optional implementation, combined with Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the cross-sectional dimension of the mounting section 210 is larger than that of the second opening 320, which is used to restrict the heat-conducting component 200 from detaching from the heat shrink sleeve 300.

[0057] For example, the overall shape of the mounting section 210 is larger than the diameter of the second opening 320 on the heat shrink sleeve 300 in any cross section perpendicular to its length direction, thereby preventing the mounting section 210 from coming out of the second opening 320 and improving assembly reliability.

[0058] In one alternative implementation, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the mounting section 210 is an arc-shaped section, and the curvature of the mounting section 210 is equal to the curvature of the outer wall surface of the heating tube 100, thereby achieving good surface contact between the mounting section 210 and the heating tube 100, increasing the heat conduction area, and allowing heat to be transferred more quickly and evenly from the heating tube 100 to the entire heat conduction component 200, thus improving the heat conduction efficiency.

[0059] In one alternative implementation, refer to Figure 5 As shown, the heat-conducting section 220 is connected to the middle of the mounting section 210. That is, the heat-conducting component 200 has a "T" shaped structure, the mounting section 210 is a horizontal arc strip, and the heat-conducting section 220 extends vertically or at a certain angle from the center of the mounting section 210, pointing towards the drain outlet, thereby improving the structural stability and symmetry of the heat-conducting component 200 installation.

[0060] In an optional embodiment, the mounting section 210 and the heat-conducting section 220 are integrated into one structure. This integrated structure eliminates contact thermal resistance caused by the connection, improves heat conduction efficiency, and also enhances the mechanical strength and reliability of the heat-conducting component 200, reducing the risk of breakage and loosening of the heat-conducting section 220.

[0061] In one optional embodiment, a heat-conducting layer is provided on the contact surface between the mounting section 210 and the heating tube 100. In another optional embodiment, a heat-conducting layer is provided on the inner wall of the heat shrink sleeve 300.

[0062] For example, the thermally conductive layer may include, but is not limited to, thermally conductive silicone grease, thermally conductive graphite sheets, etc., and is fixed to the contact surface between the mounting section 210 and the heating tube 100 by means of spraying, electroplating, coating or pasting, so as to reduce thermal resistance and improve heat conduction efficiency.

[0063] In an optional embodiment, the inner wall of the heat shrink sleeve 300 is provided with a hot melt adhesive layer. The hot melt adhesive layer is configured to melt when the heat shrink sleeve 300 shrinks due to heat, and to bond and fix the heat shrink sleeve 300, the heat-conducting component 200 and the heating tube 100 after cooling. This makes the connection between the heat-conducting component 200, the heat shrink sleeve 300 and the heating tube 100 more stable, and also enhances the sealing and waterproof and moisture-proof performance, thereby improving the safety of use.

[0064] In an optional embodiment, a limiting part (not shown in the figure) is provided on the outer wall surface of the heating tube 100. When the heat shrink sleeve 300 is inserted into and installed on the heating tube 100, the limiting part and the heat shrink sleeve 300 limit and abut against each other.

[0065] Optionally, the limiting part can be a protrusion or a ring provided on the outer wall of the heating tube 100. When the heat shrink sleeve 300 is fitted into the predetermined position of the heating tube 100, its end will abut against this limiting part and cannot move forward. This achieves rapid and accurate axial positioning of the heat shrink sleeve 300, improves the speed of assembly, and on the other hand, prevents the heat shrink sleeve 300 from moving axially during use.

[0066] The heating assembly provided in this embodiment includes a heating tube 100, a heat-conducting element 200, and a heat-shrink sleeve 300. One end of the heat-conducting element 200 is connected to the heating tube 100, and the other end is used for thermal connection with a drain pipe. The heat-shrink sleeve 300 has an installation cavity 301, in which the heat-conducting element 200 is installed, and the heating tube 100 passes through the installation cavity 301, so that the heat-conducting element 200 and the heating tube 100 are heat-shrinkably fixed. When the heat-conducting element 200 and the heating tube 100 are placed together in the installation cavity 301, the heat-shrink sleeve 300 is heated. After being heated, the heat-shrink sleeve 300 shrinks radially, and its inner wall tightly wraps the outer wall of the heating tube 100, firmly fixing the heat-conducting element 200 to the heating tube 100. This reduces the possibility of rotation and movement of the heat-conducting element 200, improves the installation stability of the heat-conducting element 200, and reduces the risk of failure of the heat-conducting element 200.

[0067] Secondly, this application also provides a refrigerator, which includes a drain pipe and a heating component as described in the above embodiments, with the heat-conducting component 200 at least partially inserted into the drain pipe.

[0068] It is understood that since the heating component has the beneficial effects of the above embodiments, the refrigerator will have the corresponding beneficial effects of the above embodiments. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above embodiments, and this embodiment will not be described in detail.

[0069] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0070] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate this application and are not intended to limit this application. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that various combinations, modifications, or equivalent substitutions of the technical solutions of this application do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application and should all be covered within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A heating component for use in a refrigerator, characterized in that, The heating component includes: Heating element; A heat-conducting component, one end of which is connected to the heating pipe, and the other end of which is used for a heat-conducting connection with the drain pipe; A heat-shrink sleeve is formed with an installation cavity. The heat-conducting component is installed in the installation cavity, and the heating tube passes through the installation cavity so that the heat-conducting component and the heating tube are heat-shrinkably fixed.

2. The heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat shrink sleeve has a first opening and a second opening that are arranged opposite to each other. The first opening is used for the heat-conducting component to pass through and enter the mounting cavity, and the heat-conducting component is installed in the second opening.

3. The heating assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The heat-conducting component includes: The mounting section is located inside the mounting cavity. When the heat-conducting component is heat-shrinkably fixed to the heating tube, the mounting section abuts against the outer wall of the heating tube. A heat-conducting section is connected to the mounting section, the heat-conducting section extends out of the second opening and at least partially passes through the drain pipe.

4. The heating assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cross-sectional dimension of the mounting section is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the second opening, which is used to restrict the heat-conducting component from detaching from the heat shrink sleeve.

5. The heating assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The mounting section is an arc-shaped section, and the curvature of the mounting section is equal to the curvature of the outer wall surface of the heating tube.

6. The heating assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The heat-conducting section is connected to the middle of the mounting section; And / or, the mounting section and the heat-conducting section are an integral structure.

7. The heating assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, A heat-conducting layer is provided on the contact surface between the mounting section and the heating tube; And / or, the inner wall of the heat shrink sleeve is provided with a heat-conducting layer.

8. The heating assembly according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The inner wall of the heat shrink sleeve is provided with a hot melt adhesive layer, which is configured to melt when the heat shrink sleeve is heated and shrink, and to bond and fix the heat shrink sleeve, the heat-conducting component and the heating tube after cooling.

9. The heating assembly according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The outer wall of the heating tube is provided with a limiting part, and when the heat shrink sleeve is inserted and installed on the heating tube, the limiting part abuts against the heat shrink sleeve.

10. A refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes a drain pipe and a heating assembly as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the heat-conducting element is at least partially disposed within the drain pipe.

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