Refrigerator

Abstract

The application provides a refrigerator, which comprises a refrigeration chamber and an evaporator, the refrigeration chamber is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, the evaporator is arranged in the refrigeration chamber, the air inlet is located below the evaporator, and the air outlet is located above the evaporator, the evaporator comprises a plurality of tube rows, each tube row comprises a plurality of tube segments, and the plurality of tube segments are arranged in sequence along a direction from the air inlet to the air outlet, the evaporator comprises an evaporation inlet pipe, an evaporation outlet pipe and a plurality of evaporation pipes, the plurality of evaporation pipes are connected in parallel between the evaporation inlet pipe and the evaporation outlet pipe, and each evaporation pipe forms at least one tube row. The refrigerator can reduce the working condition difference between the plurality of evaporation pipes, so that the refrigerant can be more fully and efficiently utilized, and the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application pertains to household appliances, and more specifically, to a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] Refrigerators, as an indispensable appliance in modern households, play a crucial role in food preservation and extending storage time. The evaporator, as one of the core components of the refrigerator's refrigeration system, directly affects the refrigerator's cooling efficiency and energy consumption.

[0003] To improve heat exchange efficiency and reduce refrigerant flow resistance, some refrigerators currently employ a multi-pass evaporator design, which involves connecting multiple evaporator tubes in parallel. However, this multi-pass evaporator design in current refrigerators suffers from significant differences in heat exchange conditions among the individual evaporator tubes. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a refrigerator that solves the technical problem in the prior art where the heat exchange conditions of each evaporator tube are significantly different in refrigerators with multiple evaporator tubes.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is: to provide a refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising: Refrigeration chamber; the refrigeration chamber is equipped with an air inlet and an air outlet; Evaporator; The evaporator is located inside the refrigeration chamber, with the air inlet located below the evaporator and the air outlet located above the evaporator; The evaporator includes multiple tube rows, each tube row includes multiple tube segments, and the multiple tube segments are arranged sequentially from the air inlet to the air outlet. The evaporator includes an evaporation inlet pipe, an evaporation outlet pipe, and multiple evaporation tubes. The multiple evaporation tubes are connected in parallel between the evaporation inlet pipe and the evaporation outlet pipe, and each evaporation tube forms at least one tube array.

[0006] Optionally, the inlets of multiple evaporator tubes are adjacent; And / or, the outlets of multiple evaporator tubes are adjacent.

[0007] Optionally, the number of evaporator tubes is the same as the number of tube arrays, with each evaporator tube bent to form a tube array.

[0008] Optionally, the plurality of evaporating tubes include a first evaporating tube and a second evaporating tube, and the plurality of tube arrays include a first tube array and a second tube array, wherein the first evaporating tube is bent to form a first tube array and the second evaporating tube is bent to form a second tube array.

[0009] Optionally, the inlet of the first evaporator is located at the bottom of the first tube array, the inlet of the second evaporator is located at the bottom of the second tube array, and the inlets of the first evaporator and the second evaporator are adjacent to each other; The outlet of the first evaporator is located at the top of the first tube array, and the outlet of the second evaporator is located at the top of the second tube array. The outlets of the first evaporator and the second evaporator are adjacent to each other.

[0010] Optionally, the plurality of evaporating tubes includes a first evaporating tube and a second evaporating tube, and the plurality of tube rows includes a first tube row, a second tube row, a third tube row and a fourth tube row arranged in sequence; The first evaporator tube is bent to form the first tube array and the second tube array, and the second evaporator tube is bent to form the third tube array and the fourth tube array.

[0011] Optionally, the inlet of the first evaporator is located at the top of the first tube row, and the inlet of the second evaporator is located at the top of the fourth tube row; The outlet of the first evaporator is located at the top of the second tube column, and the outlet of the second evaporator is located at the top of the third tube column, so that the outlets of the first evaporator and the second evaporator are adjacent to each other.

[0012] Optionally, the plurality of evaporating tubes includes a first evaporating tube and a second evaporating tube, and the plurality of tube rows includes a first tube row, a second tube row and a third tube row arranged in sequence; The first evaporator tube is bent to form the upper tube of the second tube set and the first tube set, and the second evaporator tube is bent to form the lower tube set of the second tube set and the third tube set.

[0013] Optionally, the inlet of the first evaporator is located at the bottom of the first tube column, and the inlet of the second evaporator is located at the top of the third tube column; The outlet of the first evaporator is located in the middle of the second tube array, and the outlet of the second evaporator is located in the middle of the second tube array, so that the outlets of the first evaporator and the second evaporator are adjacent to each other.

[0014] Optionally, the refrigerator also includes a liquid receiver and a compressor. The inlet of the liquid receiver is connected to the evaporator outlet pipe, and the outlet of the liquid receiver is connected to the compressor. The inlet of the liquid receiver is located at the bottom of the liquid receiver, and the outlet of the liquid receiver is located at the top of the liquid receiver. And / or, the refrigerator also includes a refrigerant distributor, which includes a distribution inlet pipe, a conical part and a plurality of distribution outlet pipes. The distribution inlet pipe has a first end and a second end. The plurality of distribution outlet pipes are all connected to the first end of the distribution inlet pipe, and the plurality of distribution outlet pipes are connected to the plurality of evaporator pipes in a one-to-one correspondence. The second end serves as the evaporator inlet pipe. The conical component is disposed inside the distribution inlet pipe and located at the first end. A fluid channel is formed between the conical component and the inner wall of the distribution inlet pipe. The tip of the conical component faces the second end, so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid channel gradually decreases in the direction towards the first end.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the refrigerator provided in this application are as follows: Compared with the prior art, the refrigerator in the embodiment of this application includes multiple evaporator tubes, which can reduce the diameter of the evaporator tubes without increasing or even reducing the flow resistance, thereby improving the heat exchange capacity, reducing the consumption of metal materials, reducing the amount of refrigerant charged, and improving the heat exchange performance of individual units.

[0016] In the refrigerator's cooling chamber, airflow enters from the air inlet below the evaporator and flows from bottom to top. The tube segments of each tube array are arranged in this direction, and each evaporator tube forms at least one tube array. At any height of the evaporator, a portion of each evaporator tube exists simultaneously. When the airflow passes through any height of the evaporator, it will simultaneously come into contact with the corresponding tube segments of all evaporator tubes at that height for heat exchange, thereby reducing the operating condition differences of each evaporator tube. This allows for more full and efficient utilization of the refrigerant, further improving the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art 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.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the exterior of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator refrigeration system according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 A comparison chart of heat exchange and pressure drop for three tube types; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of airflow circulation inside the refrigerator in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a color schematic diagram of the evaporator at one angle in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a color schematic diagram of another angle of the evaporator in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a simplified diagram of the evaporator tube arrangement in one embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a simplified diagram of the evaporator tube arrangement in another embodiment of this application; Figure 9 This is a simplified diagram of the evaporator tube arrangement in another embodiment of this application; Figure 10 A schematic diagram of an evaporator with the distributor vertically positioned; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the evaporator in an embodiment of this application; Figure 12 This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the distributor in an embodiment of this application; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the transverse cross-section of the distributor in an embodiment of this application; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the distributor's connection in an embodiment of this application; Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the distributor in an embodiment of this application.

[0019] The following are the labeling elements in the figure: Refrigerator 100; Refrigerator compartment 10; Freezer compartment 20; Evaporator 1; Evaporator tube 11; First evaporator tube 111; Second evaporator tube 112; End plate 12; Fins 13; Evaporator inlet tube 14; Evaporator outlet tube 15; Tube row 16; First tube row 161; Second tube row 162; Third tube row 163; Fourth tube row 164; Tube section 17; Compressor 2; Condenser 3; Dryer filter 4; Throttling device 5; Distributor 6; Distributor inlet tube 61; First end 611; Second end 612; First flared section 613; Distribution outlet pipe 62; First distribution outlet pipe 621; Second distribution outlet pipe 622; Second flared section 623; Conical part 63; Fluid channel 64; U-shaped pipe 65; First branch section 651; Second branch section 652; Bend section 653; Connecting hole 654; Mesh part 66; Refrigeration chamber 7; Air inlet 71; Air outlet 72; Fan 73; Liquid receiver 8. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0021] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0022] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this 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 this application.

[0023] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0024] It should be understood that when this application describes the connection of pipes, it means that there is a physical connection between these pipes, and that such connection ensures that the pipes are connected and allow fluid to flow between them.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, a refrigerator 100 is a household appliance that allows for manual control of its internal temperature to preserve food and extend its storage time. Its basic structure includes a cabinet, a door, storage spaces for placing food, such as a refrigerator compartment 10 and a freezer compartment 20, as well as a refrigeration system.

[0026] The refrigeration system of refrigerator 100 is key to achieving a low-temperature environment; it transfers heat based on the phase change process of the refrigerant. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the refrigeration system mainly consists of a compressor 2, a condenser 3, a throttling device 5, and an evaporator 1 connected by pipes to form a closed loop. During operation, the compressor 2 compresses the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, which is then sent to the condenser 3. In the condenser 3, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant releases heat to the outside environment and condenses into a medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. After being throttled and depressurized by the throttling device 5, the liquid refrigerant becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid mixture and enters the evaporator 1. In the evaporator 1, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the surrounding environment and evaporates into a gaseous state. This gaseous refrigerant is then drawn back into the compressor 2, completing one refrigeration cycle. Furthermore, a dryer filter 4 is typically installed between the outlet of the condenser 3 and the throttling device 5 to purify the refrigerant and ensure the normal operation of the refrigeration system.

[0027] In a refrigeration system, the evaporator 1 is the core component for heat absorption and cooling. The evaporator 1 typically consists mainly of evaporator tubes 11 and fins 13. Low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant, processed by the throttling device 5, flows inside the evaporator tubes 11. When the refrigerant enters the evaporator 1, it rapidly evaporates and vaporizes due to the reduced pressure, absorbing heat from the surrounding air and lowering its temperature. This cooled air then enters the storage space of the refrigerator 100 through natural convection or forced airflow, thus achieving cooling and preservation.

[0028] The current refrigerator 100 evaporator 1 adopts a single-pass design, that is, a single evaporator tube 11. The evaporator tube 11 has a relatively large diameter, usually with an outer diameter of 8mm or 6.35mm. This design has a mature technological system.

[0029] With the upgrading of energy efficiency standards, large-diameter evaporators have revealed problems such as limited heat transfer efficiency, low space utilization, and excessive refrigerant charge. In contrast, small-diameter evaporators with an outer diameter of 5 mm or less have advantages such as high heat exchange efficiency, compact structure, low refrigerant charge, low metal material consumption, and low cost, and their application in refrigeration equipment has shown a significant development trend in recent years.

[0030] However, direct replacement of small-diameter pipes results in excessive flow resistance due to the reduced flow area and rapidly increased refrigerant velocity. To reduce the flow resistance of the refrigeration system, the refrigerant flow needs to be distributed. For example, at the inlet or middle of evaporator 1, a physical structure can be used to divide the refrigerant into multiple paths, i.e., two or more paths, forming a multi-path parallel configuration. This method can significantly reduce flow resistance, reduce the power consumption of compressor 2, and achieve high energy efficiency for evaporator 1.

[0031] like Figure 3 As shown, three tube types or tube arrangements were connected to the heat exchanger test bench system. The heat exchange and pressure drop of these three tube types were tested under different refrigerant flow rates. The pressure drop value reflects the magnitude of the flow resistance within the tube. These three tube types are 8mm tube single-pass, 5mm tube single-pass, and 5mm tube double-pass. A single-pass means that evaporator 1 has a single evaporator tube 11, and a double-pass means that evaporator 1 has two evaporator tubes 11 connected in parallel. Figure 3 The actual test results show that the 5mm tube in a single-pass flow is 1 / 6 shorter than the 8mm tube in a single-pass flow, with comparable heat exchange, but the pressure drop increases by 0.5-1.5 times. Keeping the total length of the 5mm tube constant, changing from a single-pass to a dual-pass flow results in little change in heat exchange, but a significant decrease in pressure drop, even lower than that of the 8mm tube. This demonstrates that the small-diameter tube combined with a split-pass flow scheme can fully utilize the advantages of enhanced heat exchange while avoiding increased flow resistance within the tube, and significantly reducing tube material consumption. For example, with a wall thickness of 0.75mm, the material weight per unit length of the 5mm tube is only 58% of that of the 8mm tube.

[0032] Please see Figure 4The evaporator 1 is disposed within the refrigeration chamber 7. The refrigeration chamber 7 has an air inlet 71 at its bottom and an air outlet 72 at its top. A fan 73 is also disposed at the air outlet 72 to drive the airflow in the direction indicated by the arrow. The evaporator 1 is located between the air inlet 71 and the air outlet 72. In some technical solutions, multiple evaporation tubes 11 in the evaporator 1 are arranged in a stacked configuration; for example, one evaporation tube 11 is located at the top of the evaporator 1, and another evaporation tube 11 is located at the bottom of the evaporator 1. When the airflow enters the refrigeration chamber 7 from the air inlet 71, it first contacts the lower evaporator tube 11 for heat exchange and then cools down. Then, as the airflow rises, it exchanges heat with the upper evaporator tube 11. Since the airflow temperature in contact with the upper evaporator tube 11 is much lower than that in contact with the lower evaporator tube 11, the heat exchange conditions of the upper and lower evaporator tubes 11 are quite different. The heat exchange efficiency of the lower evaporator tube 11 is greater than that of the upper evaporator tube 11. As a result, the refrigerant cannot be fully and efficiently utilized among the evaporator tubes 11, which in turn affects the overall heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator 1 and makes it difficult to fully utilize the advantages of the multi-process design in improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0033] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a refrigerator 100. Please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The refrigerator 100 provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described. The refrigerator 100 includes: Refrigeration chamber 7; Refrigeration chamber 7 is provided with air inlet 71 and air outlet 72; Evaporator 1; Evaporator 1 is located inside the refrigeration chamber 7, with air inlet 71 located below evaporator 1 and air outlet 72 located above evaporator 1; The evaporator 1 includes multiple tube rows 16, each tube row 16 includes multiple tube segments 17, and the multiple tube segments 17 are arranged sequentially from the air inlet 71 to the air outlet 72. Evaporator 1 includes an evaporation inlet pipe 14, an evaporation outlet pipe 15, and a plurality of evaporation tubes 11. The plurality of evaporation tubes 11 are connected in parallel between the evaporation inlet pipe 14 and the evaporation outlet pipe 15, and each evaporation tube 11 forms at least one tube array 16.

[0034] The refrigeration chamber 7, serving as the installation space for the evaporator 1, is the core area where the refrigerant and air exchange heat. The air inside is cooled by the evaporator 1 and then circulates to cool the storage spaces such as the refrigerator compartment 10 and the freezer compartment 20. The refrigeration chamber 7 is equipped with an air inlet 71 and an air outlet 72, with the air inlet 71 located below the evaporator 1 and the air outlet 72 located above it, forming an upward airflow path. The evaporator 1, as the core heat exchange component of the refrigeration system, absorbs heat from the air inside the refrigeration chamber 7 through refrigerant evaporation, cooling the air, which then cools the storage spaces.

[0035] From the perspective of piping layout, the evaporator 1 includes multiple evaporator tubes 11, which are the core channels for heat exchange of the refrigerant. The evaporator tubes 11 are typically made of metals with good thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance, such as copper or aluminum tubes. In addition to the evaporator tubes 11, the evaporator 1 usually has end plates 12 on both sides to fix the evaporator tubes 11. Multiple fins 13 can also be connected to the evaporator tubes 11 to increase the heat exchange area and enhance the heat exchange efficiency. The evaporator tubes 11 are bent to form a serpentine structure with multiple straight and bent sections, so that the straight and bent sections of the evaporator tubes 11 are usually integrally formed. These straight sections can be considered as pipe segments 17 of the tube array 16, and the bent sections can also be considered as part of the pipe segment 17. The evaporator inlet pipe 14 and the evaporator outlet pipe 15 are the main channels for the refrigerant to flow inside the evaporator 1. The evaporator inlet pipe 14 is responsible for introducing the refrigerant from the refrigeration system of the refrigerator 100 into the evaporator 1, while the evaporator outlet pipe 15 is responsible for exporting the refrigerant after heat exchange from the evaporator 1 and returning it to other components of the refrigeration system. Multiple evaporator pipes 11 are connected in parallel between the evaporator inlet pipe 14 and the evaporator outlet pipe 15, which means that the refrigerant flowing in from the evaporator inlet pipe 14 will be simultaneously distributed to each of the evaporator pipes 11. This can effectively improve the heat exchange efficiency while significantly reducing the flow resistance of the refrigerant.

[0036] From the arrangement of the pipes, the evaporator 1 includes multiple pipe rows 16, and each pipe row 16 includes multiple pipe sections 17. The multiple pipe sections 17 are arranged sequentially from the air inlet 71 to the air outlet 72. When the air flows from bottom to top, it will pass through the pipe sections 17 at the bottom, middle and top of the pipe row 16 in sequence.

[0037] Airflow enters from the air inlet 71 below the evaporator 1, flows upwards, and exits from the air outlet 72 above the evaporator 1. Since the pipe segments 17 of each tube array 16 are arranged in this direction, and each evaporator tube 11 forms at least one tube array 16, at any height of the evaporator 1, a portion of the pipe segment 17 of each evaporator tube 11 exists simultaneously. When the airflow passes through any height of the evaporator 1, it simultaneously contacts the corresponding pipe segments 17 of all evaporator tubes 11 at that height. For example, when the airflow is at the middle height of the evaporator 1, it simultaneously exchanges heat with the middle pipe segments 17 of all evaporator tubes 11. Airflow at the same height has a basically consistent temperature. When exchanging heat with multiple pipe segments 17 at that height, the operating conditions of each evaporator tube 11 tend to be similar, thereby reducing the differences in operating conditions among the evaporator tubes 11. This allows for more efficient and complete utilization of the refrigerant, further improving the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator 1.

[0038] by Figure 5 and Figure 6For example, the blue pipe represents one evaporator tube 11, and the pink pipe represents another evaporator tube 11. The two evaporator tubes 11 form a half tube array 16, which allows the airflow flowing from the bottom to the top of the evaporator 1 to exchange heat with the two evaporator tubes 11 at the same height, thereby reducing the difference in operating conditions between the two evaporator tubes 11.

[0039] Through the above design, the heat exchange effect of each evaporator tube 11 is more balanced, avoiding the problem of some evaporator tubes 11 receiving too much heat and others receiving too little, ensuring that the refrigerant can fully evaporate in each evaporator tube 11 and improving the refrigerant utilization rate. The balanced heat exchange of each evaporator tube 11 allows the airflow to be cooled evenly during its upward flow, resulting in a stable airflow temperature from the air outlet 72, avoiding local temperature fluctuations in the refrigeration chamber 7, and improving the food preservation effect. This design not only fully utilizes the advantages of multiple evaporator tubes 11 connected in parallel in terms of improving heat exchange efficiency and reducing flow resistance, but also solves the problem of uneven operating conditions that is prone to occur in multi-pass evaporators 1, further optimizing the refrigeration performance of the refrigerator 100.

[0040] In some embodiments of this application, the inlets of multiple evaporator tubes 11 are adjacent. Before the refrigerant supplied by the evaporator inlet pipe 14 enters each evaporator tube 11, the initial parameters such as pressure, flow rate, and gas-liquid ratio of the refrigerant at the inlet of each evaporator tube 11 are minimally different due to the adjacent inlets. This avoids uneven local refrigerant distribution caused by dispersed inlets, such as excessively high refrigerant flow rates at some evaporator tube inlets and excessively low flow rates at others, providing consistent initial conditions for the subsequent heat exchange process of each evaporator tube 11. The adjacent inlet layout makes the structural parameters such as the path length and turning angle of the refrigerant flowing from the evaporator inlet pipe 14 to each evaporator tube 11 more similar, reducing the difference in flow resistance and further ensuring that the initial flow rate of the refrigerant in each evaporator tube 11 tends to be balanced.

[0041] Similarly, in some embodiments of this application, the outlets of multiple evaporator tubes 11 are adjacent. After the refrigerant completes evaporation and heat exchange within each evaporator tube 11, it flows out from the outlet in a gaseous or near-gase state. Because the outlets of multiple evaporator tubes 11 are adjacent, the differences in parameters such as refrigerant pressure, temperature, and flow rate at the outlets of each evaporator tube 11 are reduced. If the outlets are dispersed, local pressure fluctuations or differences in flow paths may cause refrigerant stagnation or excessively high flow rates at some outlets of evaporator tubes 11. The adjacent outlet design reduces such deviations, making the refrigerant discharged from each evaporator tube 11 more similar in state. The function of the evaporator outlet pipe 15 is to collect and collect the refrigerant flowing out of each evaporator tube 11 and transport it to the subsequent circulation system. Adjacent outlets concentrate the entry point when the refrigerant enters the evaporator outlet pipe 15 from each evaporator tube 11, avoiding local turbulence or uneven pressure loss caused by dispersed outlets, reducing the flow resistance deviation of the refrigerant within the evaporator outlet pipe 15, and ensuring a more stable overall recovery process.

[0042] In some embodiments of this application, the number of evaporator tubes 11 is the same as the number of tube arrays 16, with each evaporator tube 11 forming a tube array 16.

[0043] Each evaporator tube 11 independently forms a tube array 16, meaning that all tube segments 17 within the same tube array 16 belong to the same evaporator tube 11. As the refrigerant flows upwards along tube segments 17 within the tube array 16, its state continuously changes with the heat exchange process and is only affected by the airflow conditions corresponding to that tube array 16. A single evaporator tube 11 forming a tube array 16 avoids the structural complexity caused by multiple evaporator tubes 11 crossing or running parallel within the same tube array 16, and reduces mutual interference of refrigerant flow between tubes. Simultaneously, this design makes the spatial arrangement of each tube array 16 more regular, facilitating neat arrangement along the direction from the air inlet 71 to the air outlet 72, ensuring that airflow can flow evenly through all tube arrays 16, and avoiding localized airflow blockages or heat exchange dead zones caused by a chaotic tube array structure. Specifically, the number of evaporator tubes 11 and tube arrays 16 can be two, three, four, five, or even more, with two, three, and four being the most common.

[0044] Each evaporator tube 11 is bent to form a tube array 16, which means that all tube segments 17 of a single tube array 16 are formed by continuous bending of the same evaporator tube 11. There are no interfaces for splicing multiple pipe segments, resulting in a smoother transition and uniform flow resistance. This ensures that the refrigerant flows continuously and stably within the tube array 16, avoiding local fluctuations in heat exchange efficiency caused by interface interference.

[0045] Please see Figure 7 In some embodiments of this application, the plurality of evaporation tubes 11 include a first evaporation tube 111 and a second evaporation tube 112, and the plurality of tube arrays 16 include a first tube array 161 and a second tube array 162. The first evaporation tube 111 is bent to form the first tube array 161, and the second evaporation tube 112 is bent to form the second tube array 162.

[0046] like Figure 7 As shown, each circle represents a tube segment 17, a vertical column of circles represents a tube array 16, and the line segments between the circles represent bends in the tubes used to connect adjacent tube segments 17. Solid lines represent visible bends, while dashed lines represent the opposite side, i.e., the invisible bends facing away from the screen or paper. The accompanying diagrams also follow this representation. It can be seen from the diagram that the first evaporator tube 111 is bent to independently form the first tube array 161, and the second evaporator tube 112 is bent to independently form the second tube array 162.

[0047] Please see Figure 7In some embodiments of this application, the inlet of the first evaporator 111 is located at the bottom of the first tube array 161, the inlet of the second evaporator 112 is located at the bottom of the second tube array 162, and the inlets of the first evaporator 111 and the second evaporator 112 are adjacent to each other; the outlet of the first evaporator 111 is located at the top of the first tube array 161, the outlet of the second evaporator 112 is located at the top of the second tube array 162, and the outlets of the first evaporator 111 and the second evaporator 112 are adjacent to each other.

[0048] like Figure 7 As shown, the red circle represents the inlet of evaporator pipe 11, and the blue circle represents the outlet of evaporator pipe 11. The inlets of the first evaporator pipe 111 and the second evaporator pipe 112 are both located at the bottom of their respective pipe arrays 16, creating conditions for their adjacency. The adjacency of the inlets of the first evaporator pipe 111 and the second evaporator pipe 112 means that the initial parameters such as pressure, flow rate, and gas-liquid ratio of the refrigerant they receive from the distributor 6 are almost identical, avoiding differences in distance caused by dispersed inlets and ensuring a balanced initial refrigerant flow rate for the two evaporator pipes 11. Similarly, the adjacency of the outlets of the first evaporator pipe 111 and the second evaporator pipe 112 improves the consistency of the output refrigerant.

[0049] In the refrigeration chamber 7, the airflow flows from bottom to top. The inlets of the first evaporator pipe 111 and the second evaporator pipe 112 are both located at the top, and the outlets are both located at the bottom. In the evaporator pipe 11, when the refrigerant enters from the upper inlet, it is typically in a low-temperature state immediately after throttling, containing a large amount of liquid refrigerant and a low temperature. As it flows downwards to the lower outlet, the refrigerant continuously absorbs heat, gradually evaporating into a gaseous state, and its temperature gradually increases. The airflow flows from the high-temperature region at the bottom to the low-temperature region at the top. The low-temperature refrigerant at the upper inlet comes into contact with the upper airflow, which has already cooled after partial heat exchange. At this point, the refrigerant temperature is still lower than the upper airflow temperature, allowing it to absorb heat through the temperature difference while avoiding localized overcooling caused by direct contact between the low-temperature refrigerant and the high-temperature airflow at the bottom. The refrigerant at the lower outlet is nearly gaseous and has a higher temperature, coming into contact with the newly entered high-temperature airflow from the bottom. At this point, the high-temperature airflow temperature is still higher than the gaseous refrigerant temperature, continuing to provide heat to the refrigerant, ensuring sufficient evaporation of the refrigerant within the pipe and preventing the residue of unevaporated liquid refrigerant. It should be noted that the high and low temperatures mentioned here refer to relatively higher and lower temperatures, respectively, and are not the high and low temperatures under normal conditions.

[0050] Please see Figure 8In some embodiments of this application, the plurality of evaporation tubes 11 include a first evaporation tube 111 and a second evaporation tube 112, and the plurality of tube arrays 16 include a first tube array 161, a second tube array 162, a third tube array 163 and a fourth tube array 164 arranged in sequence; the first evaporation tube 111 is bent to form the first tube array 161 and the second tube array 162, and the second evaporation tube 112 is bent to form the third tube array 163 and the fourth tube array 164.

[0051] like Figure 8 As shown, adjacent first tube arrays 161 and 162 are formed by bending the first evaporator tube 111, and adjacent third tube arrays 163 and 164 are formed by bending the second evaporator tube 112. The first evaporator tube 111 and the second evaporator tube 112 form U-shaped structures at the angles shown in the figure. In this way, two evaporator tubes 11 can form four tube arrays 16. Compared with using four independent evaporator tubes 11 to correspond to four sets of tube arrays 16, the number of evaporator tubes 11 can be reduced, the number of connection nodes can be reduced, and the risk of leakage and flow resistance can be reduced.

[0052] Please see Figure 8 In some embodiments of this application, the inlet of the first evaporator 111 is located at the top of the first tube array 161, and the inlet of the second evaporator 112 is located at the top of the fourth tube array 164; the outlet of the first evaporator 111 is located at the top of the second tube array 162, and the outlet of the second evaporator 112 is located at the top of the third tube array 163, so that the outlet of the first evaporator 111 and the outlet of the second evaporator 112 are adjacent to each other.

[0053] like Figure 8 As shown, red indicates the inlet of evaporator pipe 11, and blue indicates the outlet of evaporator pipe 11. The inlet of evaporator pipe 11 needs to be connected to the refrigerant supply line, and the outlet needs to be connected to the refrigerant return line. Concentrating the inlet and outlet at the top of the pipe array 16 avoids complex pipe arrangements at the bottom or sides of the pipe array 16 and reduces interference between the pipes and other components. The outlets of the first evaporator pipe 111 and the second evaporator pipe 112 are adjacent, avoiding local turbulence or uneven pressure loss caused by dispersed outlets and reducing the flow resistance deviation of the refrigerant in the evaporator outlet pipe 15.

[0054] Please see Figure 9 In some embodiments of this application, the plurality of evaporation tubes 11 include a first evaporation tube 111 and a second evaporation tube 112, and the plurality of tube arrays 16 include a first tube array 161, a second tube array 162 and a third tube array 163 arranged in sequence; the first evaporation tube 111 is bent to form the upper tube array 16 of the second tube array 162 and the first tube array 161, and the second evaporation tube 112 is bent to form the lower tube array 16 of the second tube array 162 and the third tube array 16.

[0055] The number of evaporator tubes 11 and tube arrays 16 is the same, or the number of tube arrays 16 is an integer multiple of the number of evaporator tubes 11, and the arrangement of evaporator tubes 11 is relatively simple. In this embodiment, the number of tube arrays 16 is three, which is a very common number of tube arrays 16, and the number of evaporator tubes 11 is two, which is also a very common number. However, because the number of the two is different and not an integer multiple, it is not easy to arrange them. In this embodiment, the first evaporator tube 111 is bent to form the first tube array 161, and the second evaporator tube 112 is bent to form the third tube array 163. At the same time, the second tube array 162 is divided into upper and lower parts, which are formed by bending the first evaporator tube 111 and the second evaporator tube 112 respectively. This forms a double J-shaped structure similar to an inverted one. This ensures that the airflow contacts the first evaporator tube 111 and the second evaporator tube 112 at the same height, and makes the flow length of the first evaporator tube 111 and the second evaporator tube 112 the same and the flow similar, thereby minimizing the difference in operating conditions between the first evaporator tube 111 and the second evaporator tube 112.

[0056] Please see Figure 9 In some embodiments of this application, the inlet of the first evaporator 111 is located at the bottom of the first tube array 161, and the inlet of the second evaporator 112 is located at the top of the third tube array 163; the outlet of the first evaporator 111 is located in the middle of the second tube array 162, and the outlet of the second evaporator 112 is located in the middle of the second tube array 162, so that the outlet of the first evaporator 111 and the outlet of the second evaporator 112 are adjacent to each other.

[0057] In this embodiment, because the portion of the second tube array 162 formed by the first evaporator tube 111 is located in the upper part of the evaporator, in the lower part of the evaporator 1, it is practically equivalent to only the first tube array 161 belonging to the first evaporator tube 111, while the second tube array 162 and the third tube array 163 belong to the second evaporator tube 112. By placing the inlet of the first evaporator tube 111 at the bottom of the first tube array 161, the temperature of the first tube array 161 at the bottom of the evaporator 1 is lower than that of the second tube array 162 and the third tube array 163, resulting in higher heat exchange efficiency and reducing the heat exchange difference caused by the difference in the number of tube arrays 16. Correspondingly, in the upper part of the evaporator 1, the first tube array 161 and the second tube array 162 belong to the first evaporator tube 111, and the third tube array 163 belongs to the second evaporator tube 112. The inlet of the second evaporator tube 112 is located at the top of the third tube array 163, making the temperature of the third tube array 163 the lowest and the heat exchange efficiency the highest, thereby minimizing the heat exchange difference between the first evaporator tube 111 and the second evaporator tube 112. In addition, the outlets of the first evaporator 111 and the second evaporator 112 are adjacent to each other, reducing the difference between the two outlets.

[0058] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 6The refrigerator 100 also includes a liquid receiver 8 and a compressor 2. The inlet of the liquid receiver 8 is connected to the evaporator outlet pipe 15, and the outlet of the liquid receiver 8 is connected to the compressor 2. The inlet of the liquid receiver 8 is located at the lower part of the liquid receiver 8, and the outlet of the liquid receiver 8 is located at the upper part of the liquid receiver 8. The inlet of the receiver 8 is connected to the evaporator outlet pipe 15, allowing the refrigerant from the evaporator 1 to directly enter the receiver 8. The evaporator 1 is where the refrigerant absorbs heat and undergoes a phase change in the refrigeration system. However, the evaporation process may not be completely uniform, and some liquid refrigerant may not evaporate completely before flowing out of the evaporator 1 along with the gaseous refrigerant. If this liquid refrigerant enters the compressor 2, it will cause liquid slugging. Liquid slugging refers to the phenomenon where liquid refrigerant directly enters the cylinder of the compressor 2. When liquid refrigerant enters the cylinder of the compressor 2, because liquid refrigerant is incompressible, it generates a huge pressure shock during the compression process of the compressor 2 piston. This pressure shock can cause serious damage to the cylinder, piston, connecting rod, and other components of the compressor 2, such as cylinder scoring, piston breakage, and connecting rod bending, severely affecting the service life and performance of the compressor 2.

[0059] Because liquid refrigerant is denser than gaseous refrigerant, placing the inlet of the liquid receiver 8 at the bottom facilitates the smooth entry of liquid refrigerant into the receiver 8 under its own gravity, allowing it to accumulate at the bottom. Placing the outlet of the liquid receiver 8 at the top and connecting it to the compressor 2 prioritizes the entry of gaseous refrigerant into the compressor 2. This ensures that primarily gaseous refrigerant enters the compressor 2, reducing the possibility of liquid refrigerant entering and thus preventing liquid slugging that could damage the compressor 2.

[0060] The key to the effectiveness of the multi-pass evaporator 1 lies in the uniform distribution of refrigerant in each path. This prevents situations where one path has excessive refrigerant that cannot be fully released, while other paths have insufficient refrigerant, leading to premature superheating and underutilization of heat exchange pipes. However, the refrigerant at the inlet of evaporator 1 is a gas-liquid two-phase mixture. Due to the significant density difference between the gas and liquid phases, uniform distribution becomes more difficult, especially since the refrigerant is highly susceptible to uneven distribution under gravity. Figure 10As shown, in some technical solutions, a distributor 6 can be installed on the inlet pipe of the evaporator 1. The distributor 6 is usually in the form of a three-way valve. During the process of the refrigerant flowing from the inlet pipe and splitting into two paths, the flow area suddenly increases at the fork, and the refrigerant velocity further decreases. Gravity has different effects on the flow trajectory of gaseous and liquid refrigerants. In order to distribute the refrigerant evenly by the distributor 6 and reduce the influence of gravity, both the inlet and outlet of the distributor 6 need to be strictly vertical, flowing upward against the direction of gravity, and the length in the vertical direction is not less than 10 times the pipe diameter. However, a fan 73 needs to be installed on the upper part of the evaporator 1 of the refrigerator 100, and there must be a sufficient safety distance and assembly clearance between the evaporator pipe 11 and the fan 73. Such a design principle will lead to a huge waste of space for the refrigerator 100, as well as higher requirements for dimensional design accuracy and assembly of the pipes.

[0061] For the above issues, please refer to Figure 11 and Figure 12 In some embodiments of this application, the refrigerator 100 includes: Evaporator 1; Evaporator 1 includes multiple evaporation tubes 11; Distributor 6; Distributor 6 includes a distribution inlet pipe 61, a conical part 63 and a plurality of distribution outlet pipes 62. The distribution inlet pipe 61 has a first end 611 and a second end 612. The plurality of distribution outlet pipes 62 are all connected to the first end 611 of the distribution inlet pipe 61, and the plurality of distribution outlet pipes 62 are connected to the plurality of evaporation pipes 11 in a one-to-one correspondence. The tapered member 63 is disposed inside the distribution inlet pipe 61 and located at the first end 611. A fluid channel 64 is formed between the tapered member 63 and the inner wall of the distribution inlet pipe 61. The tip of the tapered member 63 faces the second end 612, so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid channel 64 gradually decreases in the direction toward the first end 611.

[0062] In this embodiment, the evaporator 1 includes multiple evaporator tubes 11, which are the core channels for heat exchange of the refrigerant. The evaporator tubes 11 are typically made of metals with good thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance, such as copper or aluminum tubes. In addition to the evaporator tubes 11, the evaporator 1 usually also has end plates 12 on both sides for fixing the evaporator tubes 11. Multiple fins 13 can also be connected to the evaporator tubes 11 to increase the heat exchange area and enhance the heat exchange efficiency. The evaporator tubes 11 are bent to form a serpentine structure with multiple straight and bent sections, so that the straight and bent sections of the evaporator tubes 11 are usually integrally formed. The evaporator tubes 11 can also be formed in one or more rows to further improve heat exchange efficiency.

[0063] Evaporator 1 is the heat-absorbing component in the refrigeration cycle. When low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator tubes 11 from the distributor 6, due to the low pressure inside the evaporator tubes 11, the refrigerant quickly absorbs heat from the surrounding environment and evaporates into a gaseous state. During this process, the temperature of the refrigerant remains constant, but it absorbs a large amount of heat, thereby lowering the internal temperature of the refrigerator 100 and achieving the purpose of refrigeration. The multiple evaporator tubes 11 of evaporator 1 are connected one-to-one with the multiple distribution outlet pipes 62 of distributor 6. This connection method ensures that the refrigerant can accurately enter each evaporator tube 11. The uniform refrigerant flow rate distributed by distributor 6 is crucial for the normal operation of evaporator 1. If the refrigerant distribution is uneven, some evaporator tubes 11 may accumulate liquid refrigerant due to excessive refrigerant, affecting heat exchange efficiency; while other evaporator tubes 11 may not be able to fully exert their refrigeration function due to insufficient refrigerant.

[0064] The distributor 6 in this embodiment includes a distribution inlet pipe 61 and multiple distribution outlet pipes 62. The distribution inlet pipe 61 is the initial channel for refrigerant to enter the distributor 6, serving as the inlet for the refrigerant and guiding it to the subsequent distribution structure. The distribution inlet pipe 61 has a first end 611 and a second end 612. The multiple distribution outlet pipes 62 are all connected to the first end 611 of the distribution inlet pipe 61. The second end 612 is typically connected to the evaporator 1 inlet pipe and the throttling device 5. The multiple distribution outlet pipes 62 are connected one-to-one with multiple evaporator pipes 11. The refrigerant flows in from the second end 612 of the distribution inlet pipe 61 and flows out from the first end 611 to each distribution outlet pipe 62. Each distribution outlet pipe 62 is responsible for supplying refrigerant to the corresponding evaporator pipe 11, ensuring that the refrigerant can undergo sufficient heat exchange within the evaporator 1 to achieve the cooling function.

[0065] The distributor 6 also includes a tapered member 63, which may be entirely tapered or partially tapered. The tapered member 63 is disposed inside the distribution inlet pipe 61 and located at the first end 611, with its tip facing the second end 612. A fluid channel 64 is formed between the tapered member 63 and the inner wall of the distribution inlet pipe 61, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid channel 64 gradually decreases in the direction toward the first end 611, equivalent to a tapered nozzle flow channel.

[0066] like Figure 12As indicated by the arrows, when the refrigerant flows through the gradually narrowing fluid channel 64 formed by the conical component 63, the refrigerant velocity increases due to the gradually decreasing flow area. This accelerates the ejection of the gas-liquid phase refrigerant, increasing the refrigerant's flow velocity within the distributor 6. During distribution, the high-speed flow of the refrigerant reduces the influence of gravity on its flow. This results in a more uniform distribution of the refrigerant within the distributor 6, unaffected by factors such as the distributor 6's placement position and angle, which is beneficial for the overall layout of the refrigerator 100 components and ensures the stability of the refrigeration system. During acceleration, the relative motion between the gas and liquid phases of the refrigerant intensifies, allowing for more thorough mixing. The uniformly mixed gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, upon entering the evaporator tube 11, facilitates better heat exchange. Furthermore, the special shape and position of the conical component 63 guide and regulate the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flow, ensuring uniform distribution of the refrigerant flow to the multiple distribution outlet pipes 62. This ensures that each evaporator tube 11 receives the appropriate amount of refrigerant, avoiding problems such as poor cooling performance or overload of some evaporator tubes 11 due to uneven refrigerant distribution, and extending the service life of the evaporator 1.

[0067] Because the evaporator 1 in this embodiment adopts a parallel configuration of multiple evaporation tubes 11, the number of multiple tube rows can be increased without changing the external dimensions of the evaporator 1, such as width, height, and thickness, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency, reducing flow resistance, and reducing the total material mass.

[0068] Please see Figure 12 and Figure 13 In some embodiments of this application, the tapered member 63 has a gap between itself and the inner wall of the distribution inlet pipe 61 in the circumferential direction, so that the fluid channel 64 is annular and the plurality of distribution outlet pipes 62 are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the distribution inlet pipe 61.

[0069] The tapered component 63 has gaps between itself and the inner wall of the distribution inlet pipe 61 in the circumferential direction, making the fluid channel 64 annular, allowing the refrigerant to flow evenly along the annular path. Because the refrigerant flow within the annular fluid channel 64 is uniform, and the distribution outlet pipes 62 are evenly distributed, the refrigerant can enter each distribution outlet pipe 62 with similar pressure and flow rate. This uniform distribution ensures that each evaporator tube 11 receives an appropriate amount of refrigerant, avoiding problems such as poor cooling performance or overload in some evaporator tubes 11 due to uneven refrigerant distribution. For example, Figure 12 and Figure 13 In the illustrated embodiment, there are two distribution outlet pipes 62, which are symmetrically distributed. In some embodiments, there are four distribution outlet pipes 62, which are distributed at 90° intervals.

[0070] Please see Figure 12In some embodiments of this application, a connecting portion is provided between multiple distribution outlet pipes 62, the position of the connecting portion is opposite to the first end 611, and a tapered member 63 is connected to the connecting portion.

[0071] The conical member 63 needs to maintain a uniform gap with the inner wall of the distribution inlet pipe 61 in the circumferential direction to form an annular fluid channel 64. This means that the conical member 63 cannot be directly contacted and fixed to the inner wall of the distribution inlet pipe 61 (otherwise, the uniformity of the gap would be destroyed). Therefore, an independent structure is needed to fix the conical member 63. The connecting part is located between multiple distribution outlet pipes 62, and the position of the connecting part is opposite to the first end 611 of the distribution inlet pipe 61. The connection with the distribution outlet pipe 62 forms a support point for the conical member 63, so that the conical member 63 can be suspended and fixed inside the distribution inlet pipe 61, without contacting the inner wall, and maintaining a uniform circumferential gap.

[0072] Although the connecting part is a fixed component, because it is located between multiple distribution outlet pipes 62 and functions only through its connection with the conical member 63, its space occupied is concentrated in the gap area of ​​the distribution outlet pipes 62, and it will not intrude into the mainstream area of ​​the annular fluid channel 64. This design ensures that when the refrigerant flows through the annular channel, it is only guided and accelerated by the conical member 63, and is not obstructed or diverted by the fixed structure, thereby maintaining the integrity and circumferential uniformity of the annular flow channel.

[0073] In some other embodiments of this application, if the conical member 63 can be connected to the distribution inlet pipe 61 in the circumferential direction, then a special connection part is not required. However, it is necessary to ensure that the gap between the conical member 63 and the distribution inlet pipe 61 is opposite to the position of the distribution outlet pipe 62, so as to ensure that the refrigerant is evenly distributed to each distribution outlet pipe 62.

[0074] Please see Figure 11 and Figure 14 In some embodiments of this application, the plurality of evaporation tubes 11 include a first evaporation tube 111 and a second evaporation tube 112, and the plurality of distribution outlet tubes 62 include a first distribution outlet tube 621 and a second distribution outlet tube 622. The first evaporation tube 111 and the first distribution outlet tube 621 are connected, and the second distribution outlet tube 622 and the second evaporation tube 112 are connected.

[0075] The first distribution outlet pipe 621 is connected only to the first evaporator pipe 111, and the second distribution outlet pipe 622 is connected only to the second evaporator pipe 112. This one-to-one connection creates two independent transport paths for the refrigerant: the refrigerant flowing out of the fluid channel 64 of the distributor 6 will be directed into the first evaporator pipe 111 through the first distribution outlet pipe 621, and directed into the second evaporator pipe 112 through the second distribution outlet pipe 622. The uniform circumferential arrangement of the first and second distribution outlet pipes 621 and 622 can obtain a uniform refrigerant from the fluid channel 64 and transfer this uniformity to the corresponding first and second evaporator pipes 111 and 112, so that the two evaporator pipes 11 initially receive the same refrigerant conditions, creating conditions for balanced heat exchange.

[0076] Currently, the smallest diameter of the aluminum evaporator tubes used in refrigerators 100 in the industry is 6.35mm, and the smallest tube spacing is 20mm. However, the evaporator tube 11 in this embodiment typically has a diameter of 3mm-6mm, and the bending radius of the bent section is R5-R10 (mm), meaning the tube spacing between two adjacent straight sections is 10mm-20mm. For example... Figure 11 Taking the evaporator 1 shown as an example, its evaporator tube 11 has a diameter of 4.5 mm. With the size unchanged, increasing the number of tube rows by four increases the heat exchange capacity by 13% and reduces the resistance by 5% compared to the original evaporator 1, while reducing the total material mass by 25%. For a detailed comparison, please refer to Table 1.

[0077] Table 1: Parameter Comparison of Single-Pass Evaporator and Double-Pass Evaporator

[0078] Please see Figure 14 and Figure 15 In some embodiments of this application, the dispenser 6 includes a U-shaped tube 65, which includes a first branch 651, a second branch 652, and a curved section 653 located between the first branch and the second branch; the dispensing inlet pipe 61 is connected to the side of the curved section 653 away from the first branch 651 and the second branch 652, the first branch 651 forms a first dispensing outlet pipe 621, and the second branch 652 forms a second dispensing outlet pipe 622.

[0079] In this embodiment, the distribution outlet pipe 62 is actually formed by processing a U-shaped pipe 65. The first branch 651 of the U-shaped pipe 65 directly serves as the first distribution outlet pipe 621, and the second branch 652 directly serves as the second distribution outlet pipe 622. This means that the first distribution outlet pipe 621 and the second distribution outlet pipe 622 are not independent components, but are integrally formed with the bent section 653 to constitute the U-shaped pipe 65. This design avoids the additional connection nodes that may be generated when the independent distribution outlet pipe 62 is spliced ​​with the main structure, and greatly reduces the risk of refrigerant leakage during the distribution process. For refrigeration systems, refrigerant leakage will directly lead to a decrease in refrigeration efficiency or even system failure. Therefore, the integrally formed structure of the U-shaped pipe 65 is crucial to ensuring the system's airtightness.

[0080] Compared to manufacturing the first and second distribution outlet pipes 621 and 622 separately and then assembling them with the main structure, the U-shaped pipe can simultaneously form the first section 651, the second section 652, and the bent section 653 through a one-time forming process, such as pipe bending. This reduces the number of parts and assembly steps, lowering the complexity and cost of production. At the same time, the dimensional accuracy of the integrated structure is easier to control, ensuring that the relative positions of the first and second distribution outlet pipes 621 and 622, such as circumferential angles and lengths, meet design requirements, facilitating subsequent docking with the first and second evaporator pipes 111 and 112.

[0081] Please see Figure 14 and Figure 15 In some embodiments of this application, a connecting hole 654 is provided on the side of the curved section 653 facing the first branch section 651 and the second branch section 652, and a tapered member 63 is disposed in the connecting hole 654 and extends into the first end 611 of the dispensing inlet pipe 61.

[0082] The curved section 653, facing the first branch section 651 and the second branch section 652, serves as a connecting part. This area is located inside the U-shaped tube and is the transition position connecting the distribution inlet pipe 61 to the two branches. A connecting hole 654 is provided here so that the tapered member 63 can be fixed through the connecting hole 654 and extend into the first end 611 of the distribution inlet pipe 61. This ensures that the tapered member 63 is precisely in the initial flow path of the refrigerant entering the distribution system. This prevents the tapered member 63 from deviating from the main refrigerant path and maintains stability with the structural strength of the connecting part, avoiding positional displacement due to refrigerant impact or vibration. This ensures that the annular channel formed between the tapered member 63 and the inner wall of the distribution inlet pipe 61 remains uniform, creating conditions for uniform refrigerant distribution.

[0083] Please see Figure 14 and Figure 15In some embodiments of this application, the end of the tapered member 63 furthest from the cone tip extends into a connecting hole 654, making the distributor 6 as a whole Ψ-shaped structure. The fact that the end of the tapered member 63 furthest from the cone tip extends into a connecting hole 654 means that this part does not directly participate in the formation of the refrigerant flow channel and does not need to maintain extremely high fitting precision with the inner wall of the connecting hole 654. During processing, the dimensional tolerances of the corresponding parts of the connecting hole 654 and the tapered member 63 can be appropriately relaxed, without strict matching, thereby reducing processing difficulty and cost.

[0084] During the machining of the conical component 63, the extended portion serves as a stable clamping point, facilitating the fixation of the conical component 63 by tooling fixtures. During assembly, by observing the exposed length of this portion and its relative angle with the bent section 653, it can be quickly determined whether the conical component 63 is properly installed. For example, when the exposed length of the extended portion reaches a preset value, it can be confirmed that the cone tip of the conical component 63 has precisely extended into the first end 611 of the distribution inlet pipe 61, ensuring that the relative position of each set of conical components 63 and the U-shaped pipe remains consistent. By limiting the exposed length and angle of the extended portion through tooling, the axis of the conical component 63 is kept coaxial with the axis of the distribution inlet pipe 61, ensuring uniform circumferential clearance of the annular fluid channel 64. This avoids positional deviation of the conical component 63 caused by manual assembly errors, ensuring uniform structural parameters of the annular fluid channel 64 in all products, thereby achieving consistent refrigerant distribution performance.

[0085] Please see Figure 12 In some embodiments of this application, the second end 612 of the distribution inlet pipe 61 has a first flared section 613. The second end 612 of the distribution inlet pipe 61 is a key part for connection with the upstream pipeline, which may be the output end of components such as capillary tubes and dryer filter 4. The first flared section 613 makes the pipe opening form an outward-opening structure, with the pipe opening diameter larger than the main body of the pipe. This design provides a larger space for the insertion of the upstream pipeline, extends the docking length of the two pipes, and makes the contact area longer after the upstream pipeline is inserted into the distribution inlet pipe 61. This design can enhance the overall rigidity of the connection and reduce the loosening or relative displacement of the interface caused by external factors such as vibration and temperature changes. During the operation of the refrigeration system, the pipeline will undergo slight deformation due to refrigerant flow and ambient temperature fluctuations. The longer contact structure formed by the flared section can disperse the deformation stress, reduce the risk of breakage at the interface, and ensure the long-term stability of the connection.

[0086] Similarly, please continue reading Figure 12 In some embodiments of this application, a second flared section 623 is provided at one end of the distribution outlet pipe 62 that connects to the evaporator pipe 11. The second flared section 623 is mainly used to connect the evaporator pipe 11, and it can also facilitate connection and improve connection stability.

[0087] Please see Figure 12In some embodiments of this application, a mesh 66 is provided inside the distribution inlet pipe 61, and the mesh 66 is located on the side of the tapered member 63 near the second end 612.

[0088] When refrigerant flows in pipes, especially after passing through bends, valves and other components, it is easy to form irregular eddies and turbulence, which can lead to uneven distribution of the gas and liquid phases, such as local accumulation of liquid refrigerant or excessively high proportion of gaseous refrigerant in some areas.

[0089] In this embodiment, a mesh element 66 is installed inside the distribution inlet pipe 61. The mesh element 66 can be made of stainless steel mesh, copper alloy mesh, aluminum alloy mesh, etc. The mesh element 66 can play a rectifying role. When the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows in from the second end 612 of the distribution inlet pipe 61, it will first pass through the mesh element 66. The structure of the mesh element 66 will cut and block the eddies, decomposing the large-scale eddies into small-scale flows, making the refrigerant flow more stable.

[0090] Turbulence and eddies exacerbate the separation of the gas and liquid phases, while the mesh gaps of the mesh element 66 can organize the refrigerant, forcing the gas and liquid phases to fully contact and mix as they pass through the mesh, reducing local concentration differences. After rectification, the refrigerant enters the subsequent conical element 63 region in a more uniform gas-liquid mixed state, laying the foundation for the conical element 63 to further accelerate and mix the refrigerant.

[0091] The mesh component 66 first performs preliminary rectification of the refrigerant, reducing turbulence and eddies, and stabilizing the refrigerant's flow. The pre-treated refrigerant then enters the annular converging channel formed by the conical component 63. At this point, due to the more stable initial flow field, the acceleration and mixing effect of the conical component 63 on the refrigerant is more uniform, more efficiently eliminating any remaining gas-liquid stratification and ensuring that the refrigerant entering the distribution outlet pipe 62 is in a consistent state. This combination of rectification followed by acceleration and mixing improves the uniformity of refrigerant distribution compared to a single structure, preventing the conical component 63 from failing due to a chaotic initial flow field.

[0092] When a two-phase refrigerant flows in turbulent or eddy flow, the collisions between the liquid and gas phases, as well as the impacts between the liquid and the pipe wall, generate high-frequency noise. Pressure fluctuations during eddy rupture also create additional noise. Refrigerant flow after rectification is more stable, reducing the frequency and intensity of collisions between the liquid and gas phases and between the fluid and the pipe wall, thus reducing noise generation. Irregular turbulence can induce pipe resonance, amplifying noise. The mesh component 66 stabilizes the flow, reducing pipe vibration caused by flow field fluctuations, thereby lowering resonance noise.

[0093] In some embodiments of this application, the processing of the distributor 6 is as follows: First, the upper part is folded into a U-shaped tube 65. Circular holes are drilled on the upper and lower surfaces of the bent section 653. The circular hole on the lower surface is welded to the distribution inlet pipe 61 of the distributor 6. A tapered member 63 is inserted into the connecting hole 654 on the upper surface. The tapered member 63 is flame-welded or laser-welded to the U-shaped tube 65. Finally, a stainless steel wire mesh is pushed into the distribution inlet pipe 61 as a mesh member 66. The inlet and outlet ends are then widened or narrowed. The overall processing is simple, the materials are inexpensive, the distribution effect is uniform, and the installation position and angle are not limited by space.

[0094] Please see Figure 11 The inlet pipe 61, multiple outlet pipes 62, and conical component 63 have an angle greater than 0° with the direction of gravity. Gravity's main interference with the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant is stratification. Due to its high density, the liquid refrigerant tends to accumulate in the direction of gravity, causing an imbalance in the gas-liquid ratio between the upper and lower parts of the pipe. This stratification directly affects the uniformity of distribution, especially during low-speed flow. The tapered component 63, forming a gradually narrowing channel, significantly increases the refrigerant velocity. On one hand, the inertial force of the high-speed flowing refrigerant is much greater than gravity, causing the liquid refrigerant to move in the mainstream direction and making it difficult for it to deviate from the center of the flow channel due to gravity, thus reducing local accumulation or separation. For example, when the flow velocity is high enough, even if the pipe is inclined or horizontal, the liquid refrigerant will remain uniformly distributed within the flow channel due to inertia, rather than settling to the bottom of the pipe. On the other hand, high-speed flow intensifies the turbulent mixing of the gas and liquid phases, offsetting the stratification tendency caused by gravity. When the refrigerant passes through the converging channel at high speed, the gas and liquid phases maintain a uniform mixing state due to intense disturbance. The state difference when entering the distribution outlet pipe 62 is reduced, avoiding an imbalance where one outlet pipe has more liquid refrigerant and another has more gaseous refrigerant due to gravity. In this way, the distribution inlet pipe 61, the multiple distribution outlet pipes 62, and the conical component 63 can have an angle greater than 0° with the direction of gravity, instead of having to be arranged parallel to the direction of gravity, thus allowing for greater flexibility in the arrangement of these pipes.

[0095] by Figure 10 and Figure 11 In comparison, Figure 10 The distributor 6 in the middle is a traditional distributor 6. In order to achieve uniform distribution of refrigerant, it can only be arranged along the direction of gravity. This will cause the evaporator 1 to be too high, affecting the installation of the upper fan 73; while Figure 11 The distributor 6 used in this embodiment is horizontally positioned, which reduces the overall height of the evaporator 1, facilitating the installation of the upper fan 73. It also ensures sufficient safety distance and assembly clearance between the evaporator tubes 11 and the fan 73. Furthermore, because the distributor 6 can be horizontally arranged in this embodiment, more space is available for the arrangement of the evaporator tubes 11, allowing for more rows of evaporator tubes 11 and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator 1.

[0096] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes: Refrigeration chamber; the refrigeration chamber is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet; Evaporator; the evaporator is disposed in the refrigeration chamber, the air inlet is located below the evaporator, and the air outlet is located above the evaporator; The evaporator includes multiple tube rows, each tube row includes multiple tube segments, and the multiple tube segments are arranged sequentially from the air inlet to the air outlet. The evaporator includes an evaporation inlet pipe, an evaporation outlet pipe, and multiple evaporation tubes, all of which are connected in parallel between the evaporation inlet pipe and the evaporation outlet pipe, and each of the evaporation tubes forms at least one tube array.

2. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inlets of the plurality of evaporation tubes are adjacent; And / or, the outlets of the plurality of said evaporation tubes are adjacent.

3. The refrigerator as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The number of evaporator tubes is the same as the number of tube arrays, and each evaporator tube is bent to form one tube array.

4. The refrigerator as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The plurality of evaporating tubes include a first evaporating tube and a second evaporating tube, and the plurality of tube arrays include a first tube array and a second tube array, wherein the first evaporating tube is bent to form the first tube array, and the second evaporating tube is bent to form the second tube array.

5. The refrigerator as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The inlet of the first evaporator is located at the bottom of the first tube array, the inlet of the second evaporator is located at the bottom of the second tube array, and the inlets of the first evaporator and the second evaporator are adjacent to each other. The outlet of the first evaporator is located at the top of the first tube array, and the outlet of the second evaporator is located at the top of the second tube array. The outlets of the first evaporator and the second evaporator are adjacent to each other.

6. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of evaporating tubes include a first evaporating tube and a second evaporating tube, and the plurality of tube arrays include a first tube array, a second tube array, a third tube array and a fourth tube array arranged in sequence; The first evaporator tube is bent to form the first tube array and the second tube array, and the second evaporator tube is bent to form the third tube array and the fourth tube array.

7. The refrigerator as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The inlet of the first evaporator is located at the top of the first tube array, and the inlet of the second evaporator is located at the top of the fourth tube array; The outlet of the first evaporator is located at the top of the second tube array, and the outlet of the second evaporator is located at the top of the third tube array, so that the outlets of the first evaporator and the second evaporator are adjacent to each other.

8. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of evaporating tubes includes a first evaporating tube and a second evaporating tube, and the plurality of tube arrays includes a first tube array, a second tube array and a third tube array arranged sequentially; The first evaporator tube is bent to form the upper tube column of the second tube column and the first tube column, and the second evaporator tube is bent to form the lower tube column of the second tube column and the third tube column.

9. The refrigerator as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The inlet of the first evaporator tube is located at the bottom of the first tube array, and the inlet of the second evaporator tube is located at the top of the third tube array; The outlet of the first evaporator is located in the middle of the second tube array, and the outlet of the second evaporator is located in the middle of the second tube array, so that the outlets of the first evaporator and the second evaporator are adjacent to each other.

10. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator also includes a liquid storage tank and a compressor. The inlet of the liquid storage tank is connected to the evaporation outlet pipe, and the outlet of the liquid storage tank is connected to the compressor. The inlet of the liquid storage tank is located at the lower part of the liquid storage tank, and the outlet of the liquid storage tank is located at the upper part of the liquid storage tank. And / or, the refrigerator further includes a refrigerant distributor, the refrigerant distributor including a distribution inlet pipe, a conical part and a plurality of distribution outlet pipes, the distribution inlet pipe having a first end and a second end, the plurality of distribution outlet pipes being connected to the first end of the distribution inlet pipe, and the plurality of distribution outlet pipes being connected to the plurality of evaporator pipes in a one-to-one correspondence, the second end serving as the evaporator inlet pipe; The conical member is disposed inside the dispensing inlet pipe and located at the first end. A fluid channel is formed between the conical member and the inner wall of the dispensing inlet pipe. The tip of the conical member faces the second end, so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid channel gradually decreases in the direction toward the first end.

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