Modified atmosphere preservation device and refrigerator

Abstract

An air-regulated fresh-keeping device and a refrigerator, the air-regulated fresh-keeping device (41) comprising: an air-regulated cabin shell (10) having an internal cavity; an air-regulated cabin drawer (20) movably connected with the internal cavity and configured to move relative to the air-regulated cabin shell (10) to switch between a closed state of being contained in the internal cavity and an open state of being at least partially exposed outside the air-regulated cabin shell (10); and a gas recycling mechanism (30) connected with the air-regulated cabin drawer (20) and configured to recycle air-regulated fresh-keeping gas in the air-regulated cabin drawer (20) during switching of the air-regulated cabin drawer (20) from the closed state to the open state, and release the recycled air-regulated fresh-keeping gas into the air-regulated cabin drawer (20) during switching of the air-regulated cabin drawer (20) from the open state to the closed state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a modified atmosphere preservation device and a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the development of technology and the increasing demands of people for quality of life, the functions of refrigerators have gradually become more diversified. Controlled atmosphere (CA) compartments, suitable for preserving fruits and vegetables, have become increasingly popular. CA compartments maintain a relatively sealed environment by regulating temperature and reducing oxygen concentration to minimize the respiration of fruits and vegetables, thus achieving efficient preservation. When the CA compartment is opened, a large amount of the low temperature and low oxygen content leaks out. Due to the relatively low efficiency of oxygen removal technology used in refrigerators, it takes a considerable amount of time for the temperature and oxygen concentration inside the CA compartment to return to normal operating levels. This reduces the preservation effect of the CA compartment and also consumes more energy. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a modified atmosphere storage device and a refrigerator that can improve the preservation effect.

[0004] In one aspect of this disclosure, a modified atmosphere storage device is provided, comprising:

[0005] The controlled atmosphere chamber has an external cavity.

[0006] A controlled atmosphere compartment drawer, movably connected to the internal cavity, is configured to move relative to the controlled atmosphere compartment housing to switch between a closed state, contained within the internal cavity, and an open state, at least partially exposed to the outside of the controlled atmosphere compartment housing; and

[0007] A gas recovery and reuse mechanism, connected to the modified atmosphere compartment drawer, is configured to recover modified atmosphere preservation gas in the modified atmosphere compartment drawer during the process of switching the modified atmosphere compartment drawer from the closed state to the open state, and to release the recovered modified atmosphere preservation gas into the modified atmosphere compartment drawer during the process of switching the modified atmosphere compartment drawer from the open state to the closed state.

[0008] In some embodiments, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism is configured to create a negative pressure relative to the modified atmosphere compartment drawer during the switching process from the closed state to the open state, so as to recover the modified atmosphere preservation gas in the modified atmosphere compartment drawer; and to create a positive pressure relative to the modified atmosphere compartment drawer during the switching process from the open state to the closed state, so as to release the recovered modified atmosphere preservation gas into the modified atmosphere compartment drawer.

[0009] In some embodiments, the volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism is configured to expand during the switching of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer from the closed state to the open state, and to shrink during the switching of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer from the open state to the closed state.

[0010] In some embodiments, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism is located within the internal cavity and between the inner wall of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer and the controlled atmosphere compartment housing, the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer being configured to expand or shrink the volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism by moving relative to the controlled atmosphere compartment housing.

[0011] In some embodiments, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism includes an airbag connected to the rear end of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer away from the open side and communicating with the interior of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer.

[0012] In some embodiments, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism includes:

[0013] An airbag is located within the internal cavity and between the inner wall of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer and the outer shell of the controlled atmosphere compartment.

[0014] One part of the airbag is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the modified atmosphere chamber shell, and the other part is fixedly connected to the rear end of the modified atmosphere chamber drawer. The airbag communicates with the interior of the modified atmosphere chamber drawer.

[0015] In some embodiments, the airbag is a bellows-type airbag.

[0016] In some embodiments, the rear end of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer is provided with a valve assembly configured to open under the pressure difference between the airbag and the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer.

[0017] In some embodiments, the valve assembly includes:

[0018] The valve retaining flap is fixedly connected to the rear surface of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer; and

[0019] The valve movable leaf is located below the valve fixed leaf and is rotatably connected to the valve fixed leaf via a hinge;

[0020] The rear surface of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer is provided with a through hole for the valve flap to cooperate with in order to open and close the valve.

[0021] In some embodiments, the valve assembly further includes:

[0022] The valve cover is connected to the rear surface of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer and is fastened to the outside of the valve actuator.

[0023] In some embodiments, the lower end of the valve cover forms an opening for gas flow with the surface of the rear end of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer.

[0024] In some embodiments, the airbag is detachably fixed to the rear end of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer via a fastening knob.

[0025] In one aspect of this disclosure, a refrigerator is provided, comprising: the aforementioned modified atmosphere preservation device.

[0026] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the modified atmosphere compartment drawer can move relative to the modified atmosphere compartment shell to switch between its closed and open states. During the process of switching the modified atmosphere compartment drawer from the closed state to the open state, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism can recover the modified atmosphere preservation gas in the modified atmosphere compartment drawer. This recovered modified atmosphere preservation gas can be released back into the modified atmosphere compartment drawer during the process of switching the modified atmosphere compartment drawer from the open state to the closed state. This allows the modified atmosphere compartment drawer to still maintain a certain amount of modified atmosphere preservation gas after completing the opening and closing operation. This is beneficial for the modified atmosphere compartment drawer to maintain the required modified atmosphere environment, meet the preservation needs, and is more energy-efficient. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of this disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0028] This disclosure will become clearer with reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, wherein:

[0029] Figure 1 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the installation structure of some embodiments of the modified atmosphere preservation device according to the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer, airbag, and valve assembly according to some embodiments of the modified atmosphere preservation device of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A partial schematic diagram of the installation structure is shown;

[0032] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A partial schematic diagram of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer is omitted.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of some embodiments of the modified atmosphere preservation device according to this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of some embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present disclosure.

[0035] It should be understood that the dimensions of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Furthermore, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar components.

[0036] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0037] 10. Controlled atmosphere chamber outer shell;

[0038] 20. Controlled atmosphere compartment drawer;

[0039] 21. Backend;

[0040] 22. Valve assembly;

[0041] 221. Valve retainer;

[0042] 222. Valve travel flap;

[0043] 223. Hinges;

[0044] 224. Valve cover;

[0045] 30. Gas recovery and reuse mechanism;

[0046] 31. Airbag;

[0047] 311. Airbag rear cover;

[0048] 312. Airbag folding section;

[0049] 313. Airbag front cover;

[0050] 32. Tighten the knob;

[0051] 40. Refrigerator;

[0052] 41. Modified atmosphere storage device. Detailed Implementation

[0053] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The descriptions of the exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative and are in no way intended to limit the present disclosure or its application or use. The present disclosure may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully express the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless specifically stated otherwise, the relative arrangement of components and steps, the composition of materials, numerical expressions, and values ​​set forth in these embodiments should be interpreted as exemplary only and not as limiting.

[0054] When using terms like "includes" or "contains," to describe an element as "including" or "containing" one or more elements, it should be understood that the elements listed after the word are components of the element preceding the word, but this does not preclude the possibility that the element preceding the word may also contain other elements. Furthermore, this statement specifically covers situations where the element preceding the word is entirely composed of or specifically realized by all the elements listed after the word.

[0055] The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different parts. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, and these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described object changes.

[0056] In this disclosure, when a specific device is described as being located between a first device and a second device, an intermediary device may or may not be present between the specific device and the first or second device. When a specific device is described as being connected to other devices, the specific device may be directly connected to the other devices without an intermediary device, or it may be not directly connected to the other devices but have an intermediary device.

[0057] All terms used in this disclosure (including technical or scientific terms) have the same meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in a general dictionary, such as a dictionary, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and not as having an idealized or highly formalized meaning, unless expressly defined herein.

[0058] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0059] Among some refrigerator technologies, controlled atmosphere compartments can maintain a relatively sealed environment and reduce the respiration of fruits and vegetables by regulating the temperature and reducing the oxygen concentration inside the compartment, thereby achieving efficient preservation.

[0060] Research has found that when users open the controlled atmosphere compartment to take out or put in fruits, vegetables, and other items, a large amount of the low temperature and low oxygen content inside the compartment will leak out. Due to the low efficiency of the oxygen removal technology used in refrigerators, it takes a long time for the temperature and oxygen concentration inside the controlled atmosphere compartment to return to normal working levels, which reduces the preservation effect of the controlled atmosphere compartment and consumes more energy.

[0061] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a modified atmosphere storage device and a refrigerator that can improve the preservation effect.

[0062] In one aspect of this disclosure, a modified atmosphere storage device is provided, comprising:

[0063] The controlled atmosphere chamber has an external cavity.

[0064] A controlled atmosphere compartment drawer, movably connected to the internal cavity, is configured to move relative to the controlled atmosphere compartment housing to switch between a closed state, contained within the internal cavity, and an open state, at least partially exposed to the outside of the controlled atmosphere compartment housing; and

[0065] A gas recovery and reuse mechanism, connected to the modified atmosphere compartment drawer, is configured to recover modified atmosphere preservation gas in the modified atmosphere compartment drawer during the process of switching the modified atmosphere compartment drawer from the closed state to the open state, and to release the recovered modified atmosphere preservation gas into the modified atmosphere compartment drawer during the process of switching the modified atmosphere compartment drawer from the open state to the closed state.

[0066] In this embodiment, the modified atmosphere compartment drawer can move relative to the modified atmosphere compartment shell to switch between its closed and open states. During the process of switching the modified atmosphere compartment drawer from the closed state to the open state, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism can recover the modified atmosphere preservation gas in the modified atmosphere compartment drawer. This recovered modified atmosphere preservation gas can be released back into the modified atmosphere compartment drawer during the process of switching the modified atmosphere compartment drawer from the open state to the closed state. This allows the modified atmosphere compartment drawer to still maintain a certain amount of modified atmosphere preservation gas after completing the opening and closing operation. This is beneficial for the modified atmosphere compartment drawer to maintain the required modified atmosphere environment, meet the preservation needs, and is more energy-efficient.

[0067] Figure 1 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the installation structure of some embodiments of the modified atmosphere storage device according to this disclosure. (See reference) Figure 1 This disclosure provides a modified atmosphere storage device 41, including: a modified atmosphere chamber shell 10, a modified atmosphere chamber drawer 20, and a gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30. The modified atmosphere chamber shell 10 has an internal cavity. The modified atmosphere chamber shell 10 can be a separate component or an internal structure of a device (e.g., a refrigerator, freezer, etc.) or facility employing the modified atmosphere storage device 41.

[0068] The controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is movably connected to the internal cavity and is configured to move relative to the controlled atmosphere compartment housing 10 to switch between a closed state, which is contained within the internal cavity, and an open state, which is at least partially exposed to the outside of the controlled atmosphere compartment housing 10.

[0069] The controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 can be movably connected to the internal cavity through linear movement, rotation, or a combination of linear movement and rotation. For example... Figure 1 As shown, when the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is completely located inside the cavity of the modified atmosphere compartment shell 10, the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is in a closed state. At this time, the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 and the inner wall of the modified atmosphere compartment shell 10 can enclose a closed space for accommodating items, thereby separating the interior of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 from the exterior.

[0070] When the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is pulled outward, part or all of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is exposed outside the controlled atmosphere compartment shell 10, so that it no longer forms a closed space with the controlled atmosphere compartment shell 10, and at this time the interior and exterior of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 are connected.

[0071] The gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 is connected to the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 and is configured to recover the modified atmosphere preservation gas in the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 during the process of switching the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 from the closed state to the open state, and to release the recovered modified atmosphere preservation gas into the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 during the process of switching the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 from the open state to the closed state.

[0072] The gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 can recover and release the modified atmosphere gas. The modified atmosphere gas can be a mixture of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen at a set concentration. Different concentrations can be selected depending on the type of items stored in the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, such as fruits, vegetables, and wine. The modified atmosphere gas can also be a mixture of gases with different concentration ratios corresponding to set temperatures and humidity levels. The modified atmosphere gas can also be other elemental gases or mixtures of gases, such as hydrogen or inert gases.

[0073] In this embodiment, the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 can move relative to the modified atmosphere compartment outer shell 10 to switch between its closed and open states. During the process of switching the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 from the closed state to the open state, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 can recover the modified atmosphere preservation gas in the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 to reduce the amount of modified atmosphere preservation gas in the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 that escapes into the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20.

[0074] The recovered modified atmosphere storage gas can be released back into the modified atmosphere storage compartment drawer 20 during the switching process from the open to the closed state. This ensures that the drawer retains a certain amount of modified atmosphere storage gas after the opening and closing operation. Compared to the situation where a large amount of modified atmosphere storage gas escapes out of the drawer, the modified atmosphere environment inside the drawer is closer to the environment before opening because it receives a portion of the gas released by the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30. Even if some modified atmosphere storage gas is lost, the time to re-establish a normal operating modified atmosphere environment can be shortened, which not only improves efficiency but also saves energy.

[0075] For items stored in the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20, after the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is closed, the controlled atmosphere preservation gas released into the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 can preserve the items and continue to preserve the items after the controlled atmosphere environment for normal operation is established more quickly.

[0076] As for the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20, the re-establishment of a normal controlled atmosphere environment can be achieved using existing technical means. Since this is not the focus of this disclosure, it will not be described in detail here.

[0077] In some embodiments, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 is configured to create a negative pressure relative to the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 during the switching process from the closed state to the open state, so as to recover the modified atmosphere preservation gas within the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20. Furthermore, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 can also create a positive pressure relative to the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 during the switching process from the open state to the closed state, so as to release the recovered modified atmosphere preservation gas back into the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20.

[0078] During the process of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 switching from the closed state to the open state, a negative pressure can be formed between the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 and the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 by means of active or passive methods. That is, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 has a lower pressure than the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20. In this way, the modified atmosphere preservation gas in the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 can flow into the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 under the action of pressure difference, so as to realize the recovery operation of the modified atmosphere preservation gas.

[0079] During the process of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 switching from the open state to the closed state, a positive pressure can be formed between the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 and the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 by means of active or passive methods. That is, a higher pressure is formed between the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 and the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20. In this way, the modified atmosphere preservation gas recovered and stored by the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 can flow back into the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 under the action of pressure difference, so as to realize the release operation of the modified atmosphere preservation gas.

[0080] The process of creating a negative or positive pressure for the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 relative to the controlled atmosphere drawer 20 can be passively obtained through changes in the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 itself, such as increasing or decreasing the internal gas pressure by changing the volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30; or it can be achieved by an active action of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 by a device other than the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30, such as pressurizing or depressurizing the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 by an air pump.

[0081] In this embodiment, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 can efficiently drive the modified atmosphere preservation gas by creating a negative or positive pressure relative to the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20.

[0082] In some embodiments, the volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 is configured to expand during the switching of the controlled atmosphere drawer 20 from the closed state to the open state, and to shrink during the switching of the controlled atmosphere drawer 20 from the open state to the closed state.

[0083] The gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 can adopt a variable volume structure. According to the ideal gas law PV=nRT, where P represents the gas pressure, V represents the gas volume, n represents the amount of substance of the gas, R is a constant called the ideal gas constant, and T represents the gas temperature, the change of internal pressure of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 can be achieved by expanding and shrinking the internal volume.

[0084] In conjunction with the state switching of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20, the volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 can be actively or passively adjusted, thereby making it easier to achieve the pressure difference relationship between the internal air pressure of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 and the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 during different switching processes.

[0085] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 is located within the internal cavity and between the controlled atmosphere drawer 20 and the inner wall of the controlled atmosphere housing 10. The controlled atmosphere drawer 20 is configured to expand or shrink the volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 by moving relative to the controlled atmosphere housing 10.

[0086] like Figure 1 As shown, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 can be a separate component disposed within the space between the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 and the inner wall of the controlled atmosphere compartment outer shell 10. In another embodiment, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 can also be implemented through the space between the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 and the inner wall of the controlled atmosphere compartment outer shell 10, that is, the space between the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 and the inner wall of the controlled atmosphere compartment outer shell 10 forms a gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 with variable volume.

[0087] When the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is pulled outward, the gap between the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 and the inner wall of the controlled atmosphere compartment outer shell 10 increases, which can cause the volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 to expand; conversely, when the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is pushed back inward, the gap between the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 and the inner wall of the controlled atmosphere compartment outer shell 10 decreases, which can cause the volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 to shrink.

[0088] In this embodiment, a gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 is provided in the internal cavity. The volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 is expanded or reduced by the movement of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 relative to the modified atmosphere compartment shell 10. The opening action of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is naturally linked to the expansion of the volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30, thereby forming a negative pressure effect to recover the modified atmosphere preservation gas. The closing action of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is naturally linked to the reduction of the volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30, thereby forming a positive pressure effect to release the modified atmosphere preservation gas. This not only meets the requirements of continuous preservation of goods and energy saving, but also simplifies the implementation structure of the modified atmosphere preservation device and helps to improve reliability.

[0089] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer, airbag, and valve assembly according to some embodiments of the modified atmosphere preservation device of this disclosure. (Reference) Figure 5 In some embodiments, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 includes an airbag 31 connected to the rear end 21 of the controlled atmosphere drawer 20 away from the opening side and communicating with the interior of the controlled atmosphere drawer 20.

[0090] The airbag 31 can be an independent component disposed between the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 and the inner wall of the modified atmosphere compartment outer shell 10, and can be installed and removed as needed. One end of the airbag 31 can be fixedly connected to the inner wall of the modified atmosphere compartment outer shell 10, and the other end can be fixedly connected to the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, so that when the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 moves relative to the modified atmosphere compartment outer shell 10, it can drive the expansion and contraction of the volume of the airbag 31.

[0091] For the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30, the airbag 31 can use readily available existing components and is easy to achieve good sealing, thereby improving the efficiency of modified atmosphere preservation gas recovery and release.

[0092] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the gas recovery and reuse mechanism 30 includes an airbag 31 located within the internal cavity and between the inner wall of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 and the outer shell 10 of the modified atmosphere compartment. A portion of the airbag 31 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the outer shell 10 of the modified atmosphere compartment, and another portion is fixedly connected to the rear end 21 of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20. The airbag 31 communicates with the interior of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20.

[0093] Different parts of the airbag 31 are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the modified atmosphere compartment shell 10 and the rear end 21 of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, respectively. When the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is pulled forward or pushed backward, its rear end 21 can drive parts of the airbag 31 to move synchronously, thereby causing different parts of the airbag 31 to move away from or towards each other, thus causing the volume of the airbag 31 to change.

[0094] In addition, the airbag 31 is fixedly connected to the rear end 21 of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, which can also be used to limit the maximum pull-out length of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, so as to reduce the risk that the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 will be pulled out excessively and fall out of the modified atmosphere compartment shell 10.

[0095] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the airbag 31 is a bellows-type airbag.

[0096] The bellows-type airbag, also known as a corrugated airbag, has a multi-level pleated structure on its sidewalls, allowing for multiple folding or unfolding stages, thus achieving significant volume changes by expanding and contracting in the folding / unfolding direction. The two ends of the bellows-type airbag in the folding / unfolding direction can be fixedly connected to the inner wall of the controlled atmosphere compartment outer shell 10 and the rear end 21 of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20, respectively.

[0097] like Figure 2 As shown, the airbag 31 may include a rear airbag cover 311, an airbag folding section 312, and an airbag front cover 313. The rear airbag cover 311 and the front airbag cover 313 are arranged opposite each other along the pull-out direction of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, and the airbag folding section 312 connects the rear airbag cover 311 and the front airbag cover 313. The airbag folding section 312 can be folded into a smaller size along the pull-out direction of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, and can also be stretched into a larger size.

[0098] The material of the airbag folding section 312 needs to be able to withstand repeated bending, and materials such as nylon cloth coated with polyurethane can be used.

[0099] After multiple folds, the bellows-type airbag can occupy less space, which is conducive to the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 achieving a larger volume. When the bellows-type airbag is unfolded, its volume can recover a large amount of modified atmosphere preservation gas, thereby maximizing the recovery and release of modified atmosphere preservation gas.

[0100] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the airbag 31 is detachably fixed to the rear end 21 of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 via a fastening knob 32.

[0101] like Figure 2 As shown, the fastening knob 32 can be configured to lock the airbag 31 at one or more rotation angles and release the airbag 31 at one or more other rotation angles, thereby facilitating the disassembly and installation of the airbag 31. In this way, if a foreign object is sucked into the airbag 31, the user can easily disassemble and clean the airbag 31.

[0102] The controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 and the airbag 31 can be connected through a through hole on the rear end 21 of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20, or through a pipe provided on the rear end 21 of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 or a pipe provided on the side of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20.

[0103] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A partial schematic diagram of the installation structure shown. Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A partial schematic diagram of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer is omitted. (Reference) Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the rear end 21 of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is provided with a valve assembly 22, which is configured to open under the pressure difference between the airbag 31 and the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20.

[0104] A valve assembly 22 is installed at the rear end 21 of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, which allows the connection structure between the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 and the airbag 31 to occupy less space and be more compact. The valve assembly 22 can be opened under the action of pressure difference, thereby realizing the flow of modified atmosphere preservation gas from the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 to the airbag 31 or from the airbag 31 to the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20.

[0105] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4In some embodiments, the valve assembly 22 includes a valve retainer 221 and a valve actuator 222. The valve retainer 221 is fixedly connected to the surface of the rear end 21 of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20. The valve actuator 222 is located below the valve retainer 221 and is rotatably connected to the valve retainer 221 via a hinge 223. The surface of the rear end 21 of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is provided with a through hole 23 for the valve actuator 222 to engage with the valve to open and close the valve.

[0106] The valve retainer 221 can be fixedly connected to the surface of the rear end 21 of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 by means of screws or other connectors. The valve retainer 221 can also be removed from the rear end 21 of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 as needed.

[0107] The valve actuator 222 is located below the valve retainer 221 and is rotatably connected to the valve retainer 221 via a hinge 223. The valve retainer 221 forms a rotating pair with the valve retainer 221 via the hinge 223. When the pressure on both sides is substantially equal, the valve actuator 222 remains closed to the through hole 23 under the action of gravity. The shape and size of the valve actuator 222 can be substantially consistent with the through hole 23 to reduce gas leakage when closed. When the valve actuator 222 is tilted to one side under the action of pressure difference, the valve opens, and the modified atmosphere preservation gas can flow through the open valve to be recovered or released.

[0108] The valve opening can also be adjusted according to the pressure difference. When the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is pulled out or pushed back quickly, a larger pressure difference can be formed. At this time, the pressure difference can overcome the gravity of the valve actuator 222 to a greater extent and form a larger valve opening, thereby increasing the flow through the valve. Conversely, when the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 is pulled out or pushed back slowly, a smaller pressure difference can be formed, resulting in a smaller valve opening and reducing the flow through the valve.

[0109] In this embodiment, the valve assembly 22, which can automatically adjust the valve opening according to the movement speed of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, can more effectively realize the recovery and release of modified atmosphere preservation gas, thereby improving the utilization rate of modified atmosphere preservation gas.

[0110] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the valve assembly 22 further includes a valve cover 224. The valve cover 224 is connected to the surface of the rear end 21 of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 and is fastened to the outside of the valve actuator 222.

[0111] The gas cover 224 can be directly fixedly connected to the surface of the rear end 21 of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20, or it can be connected to the valve retainer 221, thereby forming an indirect fixed connection with respect to the surface of the rear end 21 of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20.

[0112] The gas cover 224 is fastened to the outside of the valve actuator 222, which can protect the valve actuator 222 from the interference of items in the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 with the movement of the valve actuator 222, thereby ensuring that the valve actuator 222 can work normally.

[0113] refer to Figure 3 In some cases, the lower end of the valve cover 224 forms an opening with the surface of the rear end 21 of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer 20 to allow gas to flow.

[0114] like Figure 3 As shown, the valve cover 224 can block the valve movement 222 on the upper, front and left and right sides, and has an opening on the surface of the rear end 21 of the lower modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20. This allows the modified atmosphere preservation gas to be guided during the recovery or release process, and also facilitates the flow of low-temperature gas that is easier to sink through the valve.

[0115] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of some embodiments of the modified atmosphere preservation device according to this disclosure.

[0116] refer to Figure 5 Taking low-temperature, low-oxygen gas as the modified atmosphere preservation gas as an example, when the user pulls out the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, the volume of the airbag 31 increases accordingly. The air pressure inside the airbag 31 is less than the air pressure inside the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20. The valve flap 43 tilts towards the airbag side under the pressure difference, and the modified atmosphere preservation gas is recovered into the airbag 31 through the opened valve.

[0117] When the user stops pulling the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, the volume of the airbag 31 no longer increases, and the air pressure inside the airbag 31 is basically equal to the air pressure inside the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, thus achieving air pressure balance. At this time, the valve flap 43 closes the valve assembly 40 under the action of gravity, and the modified atmosphere preservation gas stored in the airbag 31 does not leak or can only slowly escape in small amounts from the valve gap.

[0118] When the user pushes back the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20, the volume of the airbag 31 decreases accordingly. The air pressure inside the airbag 31 is greater than the air pressure inside the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20. Under the pressure difference, the valve flap 43 tilts towards the modified atmosphere compartment drawer side, and the modified atmosphere preservation gas recovered and stored in the airbag 31 is released into the modified atmosphere compartment drawer 20 through the opened valve.

[0119] Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of some embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present disclosure. (Reference) Figure 6This disclosure also provides a refrigerator, including the modified atmosphere preservation device 41 of any of the foregoing embodiments. The refrigerator employing the modified atmosphere preservation device 41 of the foregoing embodiments can achieve better preservation and energy-saving effects.

[0120] The embodiments of this disclosure have now been described in detail. To avoid obscuring the concept of this disclosure, some details known in the art have not been described. Those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein based on the above description.

[0121] While specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the examples are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A modified atmosphere storage device (41), characterized in that, include: The controlled atmosphere chamber shell (10) has an internal cavity; The controlled atmosphere compartment drawer (20), which is movably connected to the internal cavity, is configured to move relative to the controlled atmosphere compartment housing (10) to switch between a closed state, which is contained in the internal cavity, and an open state, which is at least partially exposed to the outside of the controlled atmosphere compartment housing (10). and A gas recovery and reuse mechanism (30), connected to the modified atmosphere compartment drawer (20), is configured to recover modified atmosphere gas in the modified atmosphere compartment drawer (20) during the switching of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer (20) from the closed state to the open state, and to release the recovered modified atmosphere gas into the modified atmosphere compartment drawer (20) during the switching of the modified atmosphere compartment drawer (20) from the open state to the closed state.

2. The modified atmosphere storage device (41) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas recovery and reuse mechanism (30) is configured to generate a negative pressure relative to the modified atmosphere drawer (20) during the switching of the modified atmosphere drawer (20) from the closed state to the open state, so as to recover the modified atmosphere preservation gas in the modified atmosphere drawer (20); and to generate a positive pressure relative to the modified atmosphere drawer (20) during the switching of the modified atmosphere drawer (20) from the open state to the closed state, so as to release the recovered modified atmosphere preservation gas into the modified atmosphere drawer (20).

3. The modified atmosphere storage device (41) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism (30) is configured to expand during the switching of the controlled atmosphere drawer (20) from the closed state to the open state, and to shrink during the switching of the controlled atmosphere drawer (20) from the open state to the closed state.

4. The modified atmosphere storage device (41) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The gas recovery and reuse mechanism (30) is located within the internal cavity and between the inner wall of the controlled atmosphere drawer (20) and the controlled atmosphere housing (10). The controlled atmosphere drawer (20) is configured to expand or shrink the volume of the gas recovery and reuse mechanism (30) by moving relative to the controlled atmosphere housing (10).

5. The modified atmosphere storage device (41) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The gas recovery and reuse mechanism (30) includes an airbag (31) connected to the rear end (21) of the controlled atmosphere drawer (20) away from the opening side and communicating with the interior of the controlled atmosphere drawer (20).

6. The modified atmosphere storage device (41) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas recovery and reuse mechanism (30) includes: An airbag (31) is located within the internal cavity and between the inner wall of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer (20) and the controlled atmosphere compartment outer shell (10). One part of the airbag (31) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the modified atmosphere chamber shell (10), and the other part is fixedly connected to the rear end (21) of the modified atmosphere chamber drawer (20). The airbag (31) communicates with the interior of the modified atmosphere chamber drawer (20).

7. The modified atmosphere storage device (41) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The airbag (31) is a bellows-type airbag.

8. The modified atmosphere storage device (41) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rear end (21) of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer (20) is provided with a valve assembly (22), which is configured to open under the pressure difference between the airbag (31) and the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer (20).

9. The modified atmosphere storage device (41) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The valve assembly (22) includes: Valve retaining flap (221) is fixedly connected to the surface of the rear end (21) of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer (20); and The valve moving flap (222) is located below the valve fixing flap (221) and is rotatably connected to the valve fixing flap (221) via a hinge (223); The rear end (21) surface of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer (20) is provided with a through hole (23) for the valve flap (222) to cooperate with to realize the valve opening and closing.

10. The modified atmosphere storage device (41) according to claim 9, characterized in that, The valve assembly (22) also includes: The valve cover (224) is connected to the surface of the rear end (21) of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer (20) and is fastened to the outside of the valve actuator (222).

11. The modified atmosphere storage device (41) according to claim 10, characterized in that, The lower end of the valve cover (224) forms an opening for gas flow with the surface of the rear end (21) of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer (20).

12. The modified atmosphere storage device (41) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The airbag (31) is detachably fixed to the rear end (21) of the controlled atmosphere compartment drawer (20) via a fastening knob (32).

13. A refrigerator (40), characterized in that, include: The modified atmosphere preservation device (41) according to any one of claims 1-12.

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