Refrigerator

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of refrigerator, it is related to refrigerator technical field.Refrigerator includes cabinet and evaporator, evaporator is located in the containing cavity of cabinet, evaporator is fixed in cabinet by fixed device, and fixed device includes multiple soft connecting pieces.Soft connecting piece includes main body and buffer part, and main body and buffer part are made of elastic material, evaporator is equipped with mounting portion, main body is equipped with the mounting groove that shape is matched with mounting portion, mounting portion is connected in mounting groove, buffer part is equipped with the side of main body away from evaporator, and buffer part includes multiple protrusions that protrude from the surface of main body to outside side, and buffer part is attached with the inner wall surface of cabinet, to replace traditional rigid connection with soft connecting structure, utilize elastic material to absorb deformation energy, avoid stress concentration, and prevent vibration transmission on the cabinet of refrigerator on transmission path, reduce the noise generated in the process that evaporator is operated in refrigerator.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Currently, refrigerator evaporators are generally fixed using a rigid connection structure, specifically including the following two forms: Bolted connection: The evaporator is directly fastened to the refrigerator body using metal bolts, and the fixing is achieved by threaded locking. Clip connection: Plastic clips are used to snap the evaporator pipes to the body, relying on the deformation of the clips to provide constraint. In the above solutions, the evaporator and the body are in rigid contact and are usually tightly fitted. This type of design is widely used in traditional refrigerator manufacturing due to its simple structure and high assembly efficiency. However, due to the difference in material properties between metal bolts and plastic clips, and the lack of a buffer medium between the evaporator and the body, this solution has revealed a series of technical problems in long-term use.

[0003] From a technical perspective, existing rigid connection solutions have the following shortcomings: 1. Stress concentration and abnormal noise: During compressor start-up, shutdown, defrosting, and heating, the evaporator and housing will experience thermal expansion and contraction due to drastic temperature changes (-25℃ to 50℃). This is because the coefficients of linear expansion of metal (evaporator) and plastic (housing / clamps) differ significantly (metal is approximately 12×10⁻⁶). The plastic is approximately 80×10 1. **Inconsistent Deformation Rates:** This leads to localized stress concentration at the contact interface. Stress concentration causes periodic friction between the plastic and metal parts, producing a "pop" noise that severely impacts user experience. 2. **Vibration Transmission and Noise Amplification:** The rigid connection allows evaporator vibrations (such as those from a compressor) to be directly transmitted to the housing, creating a resonance effect and further amplifying noise. 3. **The tight fit between the evaporator and housing exacerbates heat conduction, leading to increased deformation amplitude and higher noise frequency during sudden temperature changes. 4. **Insufficient Structural Reliability:** Long-term stress alternation can cause fatigue fracture of plastic clips or loosening of bolts, reducing the stability of the fixed structure. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to overcome the defect that the fixing method of the evaporator of the existing refrigerator is prone to noise, and to provide a refrigerator.

[0005] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solution:

[0006] This utility model provides a refrigerator, which includes a cabinet and an evaporator. The evaporator is disposed in the receiving cavity of the cabinet and is fixed to the cabinet by a fixing device. The fixing device includes a plurality of flexible connectors.

[0007] The flexible connector includes a main body and a buffer part, both made of elastic material. The evaporator has a mounting part, and the main body has a mounting groove that matches the shape of the mounting part. The mounting part is connected to the mounting groove. The buffer part is located on the side of the main body away from the evaporator. The buffer part includes multiple protrusions that protrude outward from the surface of the main body. The buffer part is in contact with the inner wall of the housing.

[0008] In this solution, the refrigerator body and evaporator are connected by a flexible connector, which includes a main body and a buffer part. The main body and the buffer part are made of elastic material. The evaporator has a mounting part, and the main body has a mounting groove that matches the shape of the mounting part. The mounting part is connected in the mounting groove. The buffer part includes multiple protrusions that protrude outward from the surface of the main body. The buffer part fits against the inner wall of the refrigerator body, thereby replacing the traditional rigid connection with a flexible connection structure. The elastic material absorbs deformation energy, avoids stress concentration, and prevents vibration from being transmitted to the refrigerator body along the transmission path. The evaporator and the refrigerator body are not in direct contact, thus eliminating the popping sound and resonance noise caused by the vibration of the evaporator during start-up, shutdown, and defrosting processes.

[0009] Preferably, the mounting groove is a recess provided on the side wall of the main body, the mounting part is a flat plate, the flat plate is snapped into the recess, and the recess and the flat plate extend along the length direction of the evaporator.

[0010] In this design, the mounting groove can be a recess located on the side wall of the main body, and the mounting part is a flat plate that snaps into the groove. This flat plate and groove design makes it easier to install the mounting part into the mounting groove, facilitating assembly and replacement. By extending the groove and flat plate along the length of the evaporator, the connection stability between the mounting part and the mounting groove is enhanced, preventing the mounting part from detaching from the mounting groove when the evaporator vibrates.

[0011] Preferably, in the spacing direction between the flexible connector and the housing, the groove divides the main body into a first part and a second part;

[0012] The first part and the second part are arranged sequentially in the direction from near the evaporator to away from the evaporator, and the thickness of the second part is greater than the thickness of the first part.

[0013] In this solution, by making the thickness of the second part greater than that of the first part and placing the second part closer to the inner wall of the cabinet, the distance between the mounting part and the refrigerator cabinet is increased, thereby achieving a better vibration isolation effect.

[0014] Preferably, the flexible connector further includes an installation member, the main body is provided with a first installation hole penetrating the main body, the installation part is provided with a second installation hole, the installation member is inserted into the first installation hole and the second installation hole, and the two ends of the installation member are respectively connected to the evaporator and the housing.

[0015] In this solution, by inserting the mounting component into the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole, and connecting the two ends of the mounting component to the evaporator and the cabinet respectively, the evaporator can be more securely fixed to the refrigerator cabinet. The connection method of the mounting component and the mounting hole also makes it easier to install or disassemble.

[0016] Preferably, the mounting part is the pipe of the evaporator, and the mounting groove is a buckle that matches the shape of the pipe, and the buckle is engaged with the pipe of the evaporator.

[0017] In this design, the evaporator does not require an additional mounting section. Instead, the evaporator's piping can be used as the mounting section. The mounting groove is a snap-fit ​​that matches the shape of the piping. The snap-fit ​​is engaged with the evaporator's piping, making the overall structure simpler while ensuring the convenience of installing the mounting section in the mounting groove and the structural stability.

[0018] Preferably, the buckle has an arc-shaped structure.

[0019] In this solution, by setting the shape of the clip to an arc shape, the shape of the clip can be better matched to the evaporator's piping, making the clip easier to connect to the evaporator's piping.

[0020] Preferably, the main body further includes a connecting portion, one end of which is connected to the mounting groove, and the other end of which is connected to the buffer portion.

[0021] In this solution, by setting a connecting part, one end of the connecting part is connected to the mounting groove and the other end of the connecting part is connected to the buffer part, thereby increasing the distance between the mounting groove and the buffer part, and thus increasing the distance between the evaporator and the refrigerator body, further improving the vibration isolation effect and avoiding noise generation.

[0022] Preferably, the flexible connector includes a first connector and a second flexible connector, the first flexible connector and the second flexible connector are respectively disposed on both sides of the evaporator, the first connector is connected to the housing through a mounting member, and the bottom surface of the second flexible connector is 1mm higher than the first flexible connector.

[0023] In this design, the flexible connectors include two types: a first flexible connector and a second flexible connector. The first flexible connector is connected to the refrigerator body via an mounting bracket, while the bottom surface of the second flexible connector protrudes 1mm above the first. When the first flexible connector is attached to the refrigerator body, it applies pressure to the second flexible connector against the inner wall of the refrigerator body, causing the second flexible connector to conform to the refrigerator body. This method fully utilizes the elastic properties of the elastic material, resulting in a tighter fit between the second flexible connector and the refrigerator body after installation, further improving vibration isolation and reducing noise generation.

[0024] Preferably, the plurality of flexible connectors are respectively disposed at both ends of the evaporator along its length.

[0025] In this solution, by placing multiple flexible connectors at both ends of the evaporator along its length, the force on the flexible connectors is made more uniform, which further improves the vibration isolation effect and reduces noise generation.

[0026] Preferably, the flexible connector is also located at the middle of the evaporator along its length.

[0027] In this solution, a flexible connector can also be installed in the middle of the evaporator along its length, which further improves the stability of the flexible connector connection, further enhances the vibration isolation effect, and reduces noise generation.

[0028] The positive and progressive effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0029] The refrigerator's body and evaporator are connected by a flexible connector, which includes a main body and a buffer section. Both the main body and the buffer section are made of elastic material. The evaporator has a mounting section, and the main body has a mounting groove that matches the shape of the mounting section. The mounting section is connected to the mounting groove. The buffer section includes multiple protrusions that extend outward from the surface of the main body and fits against the inner wall of the refrigerator body. This flexible connection structure replaces the traditional rigid connection, utilizes elastic material to absorb deformation energy, avoids stress concentration, and prevents vibration from being transmitted to the refrigerator body along the transmission path. The evaporator and the refrigerator body are not in direct contact, thus eliminating the popping sounds and resonance noise caused by the vibration of the evaporator during start-up, shutdown, and defrosting processes. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the evaporator and flexible connector according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the connection between the first flexible connector and the evaporator according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0032] Figure 3This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the first flexible connector according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a side view of the first flexible connector according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the connection between the second flexible connector and the evaporator according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the second flexible connector according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0036] Figure 7 This is a side view of the second flexible connector according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0037] Figure 8 This is a side view of the first flexible connector and the second flexible connector according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0038] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0039] Box 110

[0040] Evaporator 120

[0041] Installation Department 121

[0042] Pipeline 122

[0043] Flexible connector 130

[0044] First flexible connector 131

[0045] Second flexible connector 132

[0046] Main body 200

[0047] Part 1, page 210

[0048] Part Two 220

[0049] Mounting slot 230

[0050] First mounting hole 240

[0051] Connecting part 260

[0052] Buffer section 300

[0053] 310 protrusions

[0054] Installation part 400

[0055] The length direction of the evaporator x

[0056] The spacing direction y between the flexible connector and the evaporator Detailed Implementation

[0057] The present invention will be further described below by way of embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the following embodiments.

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a refrigerator, which includes a cabinet 110 and an evaporator 120. The evaporator 120 is disposed within the receiving cavity of the cabinet 110 and is fixed to the cabinet 110 by a fixing device. The fixing device includes multiple flexible connectors 130. Each flexible connector 130 includes a main body 200 and a buffer portion 300, both made of elastic material. The evaporator 120 has a mounting portion 121, and the main body 200 has a mounting groove 230 that matches the shape of the mounting portion 121. The mounting portion 121 is connected to the mounting groove 230. The buffer portion 300 is disposed on the side of the main body 200 away from the evaporator 120 and includes multiple protrusions 310 protruding outward from the surface of the main body 200. The buffer portion 300 is in contact with the inner wall surface of the cabinet 110.

[0059] The refrigerator body 110 and evaporator 120 are connected by a flexible connector 130. The flexible connector 130 includes a main body 200 and a buffer part 300, both made of elastic material. The evaporator 120 is provided with a mounting part 121, and the main body 200 is provided with a mounting groove 230 that matches the shape of the mounting part 121. The mounting part 121 is connected to the mounting groove 230. The buffer part 300 includes multiple protrusions 310 that protrude outward from the surface of the main body 200. The buffer part 300 fits against the inner wall of the refrigerator body 110, thereby replacing the traditional rigid connection with a flexible connection structure. The elastic material absorbs deformation energy, avoids stress concentration, and prevents vibration from being transmitted to the refrigerator body 110 along the transmission path. The evaporator 120 and the refrigerator body 110 are not in direct contact, thus eliminating the popping sound and resonance noise caused by the vibration of the evaporator 120 during start-up, shutdown, and defrosting processes.

[0060] In this embodiment, the flexible connector 130 includes a first flexible connector 131 and a second flexible connector 132. The structures of the first flexible connector 131 and the second flexible connector 132 are different. The first flexible connector 131 and the second flexible connector 132 are respectively disposed on both sides of the width direction of the evaporator 120.

[0061] In the first flexible connector 131, such as Figures 2-4 The mounting groove 230 is a recess located on the side wall of the main body 200, and the mounting part 121 is a flat plate that is snapped into the groove. The groove and the flat plate extend along the length x of the evaporator.

[0062] The mounting groove 230 can be a recess located on the side wall of the main body 200. The mounting part 121 is a flat plate that snaps into the groove. This flat plate and groove design makes it easier to install the mounting part 121 into the mounting groove 230, facilitating assembly and replacement. By extending the groove and flat plate along the length x of the evaporator, the connection stability between the mounting part 121 and the mounting groove 230 is enhanced, preventing the mounting part 121 from detaching from the mounting groove 230 when the evaporator 120 vibrates.

[0063] Along the y-direction between the flexible connector 130 and the refrigerator body 110, a groove divides the main body 200 into a first part 210 and a second part 220. The first part 210 and the second part 220 are arranged sequentially in the direction from near the evaporator 120 to away from the evaporator 120, with the thickness of the second part 220 greater than that of the first part 210. By making the thickness of the second part 220 greater than that of the first part 210, the second part 220 is closer to the inner wall of the refrigerator body 110, increasing the distance between the mounting part 121 and the refrigerator body 110, thereby achieving better vibration isolation. Figure 4 As shown, the thickness of the first portion 210 is 'a', and the thickness of the second portion 220 is 'b', where b > a. In this embodiment, the thickness of the first portion 210 is 2 mm, and the thickness of the second portion 220 is 3 mm. In other embodiments, other thicknesses of the first portion 210 and the second portion 220 that are deemed suitable by those skilled in the art can also be selected.

[0064] The flexible connector 130 also includes a mounting member 400. The main body 200 has a first mounting hole 240 penetrating through it, and the mounting portion 121 has a second mounting hole. The mounting member 400 is inserted into the first mounting hole 240 and the second mounting hole, and both ends of the mounting member 400 are connected to the evaporator 120 and the refrigerator body 110, respectively. By inserting the mounting member 400 into the first mounting hole 240 and the second mounting hole, and connecting both ends of the mounting member 400 to the evaporator 120 and the refrigerator body 110, the evaporator 120 can be more securely fixed to the refrigerator body 110. The connection method using the mounting member 400 and the mounting hole also facilitates installation and disassembly.

[0065] In the second flexible connector 132, such as Figures 5-7 As shown, the mounting part 121 is the pipe 122 of the evaporator 120, and the mounting groove 230 is a snap-fit ​​that matches the shape of the pipe 122, which is engaged with the pipe 122 of the evaporator 120. The evaporator 120 may not require an additional mounting part 121; the pipe 122 of the evaporator 120 can be used as the mounting part 121, and the mounting groove 230 is a snap-fit ​​that matches the shape of the pipe 122, which is engaged with the pipe 122 of the evaporator 120. This makes the overall structure simpler while ensuring the convenience of installing the mounting part 121 into the mounting groove 230 and the structural stability.

[0066] In this embodiment, the buckle is an arc-shaped structure. By setting the buckle to an arc-shaped structure, the buckle shape can be better matched to the pipe 122 of the evaporator 120, making it easier for the buckle to engage with the pipe 122 of the evaporator 120. In other embodiments, the buckle can also be set to other structures that are deemed suitable by those skilled in the art.

[0067] The main body 200 also includes a connecting portion 260, one end of which is connected to the mounting groove 230, and the other end of which is connected to the buffer portion 300. By providing the connecting portion 260, with one end connected to the mounting groove 230 and the other end connected to the buffer portion 300, the distance between the mounting groove 230 and the buffer portion 300 can be increased, thereby increasing the gap between the evaporator 120 and the refrigerator body 110, further improving the vibration isolation effect and preventing noise generation.

[0068] The flexible connector 130 includes a first connector and a second flexible connector 132. The first flexible connector 131 and the second flexible connector 132 are respectively disposed on both sides of the evaporator 120. The first connector is connected to the housing 110 through the mounting member 400. The bottom surface of the second flexible connector 132 is 1mm higher than the first flexible connector 131.

[0069] The flexible connector 130 includes two types: a first flexible connector 131 and a second flexible connector 132. The first flexible connector 131 is connected to the housing 110 via a mounting member 400. The bottom surface of the second flexible connector 132 is 1mm higher than the first flexible connector 131. Figure 8 As shown, the distance between the bottom surface of the second flexible connector 132 and the first flexible connector 131 is c, where c is 1 mm. When the first flexible connector 131 is connected to the cabinet 110, it can apply pressure to the second flexible connector 132 towards the inner wall of the cabinet 110, so that the second flexible connector 132 fits the refrigerator cabinet 110. In this way, the elastic properties of the elastic material can be fully utilized, and after installation, the second flexible connector 132 can fit more tightly with the refrigerator cabinet 110, further improving the vibration isolation effect and reducing noise generation. In other embodiments, the distance between the bottom surface of the second flexible connector 132 and the first flexible connector 131 can also be set to other sizes that are considered appropriate by those skilled in the art.

[0070] Multiple flexible connectors 130 are respectively disposed at both ends of the evaporator along the length x direction. By disposing of multiple flexible connectors 130 at both ends of the evaporator along the length x direction, the force on the flexible connectors 130 is made more uniform, thereby further improving the vibration isolation effect and reducing noise generation.

[0071] The flexible connector 130 is also located at the middle of the evaporator's length direction x. Alternatively, the flexible connector 130 can also be located at the middle of the evaporator's length direction x, thereby further improving the stability of the connection of the flexible connector 130, further enhancing the vibration isolation effect, and reducing noise generation.

[0072] In this embodiment, there are two first flexible connectors 131, each located at one end of the evaporator along its length x. There are three second flexible connectors 132, with two located at one end of the evaporator along its length x, and the remaining one located at the middle of each end of the evaporator along its length x. In other embodiments, those skilled in the art can select appropriate arrangements of the first and second flexible connectors 131 and 132 according to actual needs.

[0073] The flexible connector 130 in this embodiment can be used in ordinary refrigerators or smart refrigerators. The smart refrigerator has a smart voice control module, which includes a controller, a voice receiving module, and a voice parsing module. The voice receiving module receives user commands, and the voice parsing module parses the commands. Based on the parsed commands, the controller controls the refrigerator to perform corresponding operations, thereby realizing intelligent control of the refrigerator and improving the user experience of using the smart appliance.

[0074] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship of the device or component during normal use. They are used only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation at any time, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model in this respect.

[0075] While specific embodiments of this utility model have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of this utility model, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising a cabinet and an evaporator, the evaporator being disposed within a receiving cavity of the cabinet, the evaporator being fixed to the cabinet by a fixing device, characterized in that, The fixing device includes multiple flexible connectors; The flexible connector includes a main body and a buffer part, both made of elastic material. The evaporator has a mounting part, and the main body has a mounting groove that matches the shape of the mounting part. The mounting part is connected to the mounting groove. The buffer part is located on the side of the main body away from the evaporator. The buffer part includes multiple protrusions that protrude outward from the surface of the main body. The buffer part is in contact with the inner wall of the housing.

2. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting groove is a recess provided on the side wall of the main body, and the mounting part is a flat plate. The flat plate is snapped into the recess, and the recess and the flat plate extend along the length direction of the evaporator.

3. The refrigerator as described in claim 2, characterized in that, In the spacing direction between the flexible connector and the housing, the groove divides the main body into a first part and a second part; The first part and the second part are arranged sequentially in the direction from near the evaporator to away from the evaporator, and the thickness of the second part is greater than the thickness of the first part.

4. The refrigerator as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The flexible connector also includes an installation component. The main body has a first installation hole that penetrates the main body, and the installation part has a second installation hole. The installation component is inserted into the first installation hole and the second installation hole, and both ends of the installation component are respectively connected to the evaporator and the housing.

5. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting part is the pipe of the evaporator, and the mounting groove is a buckle that matches the shape of the pipe. The buckle is engaged with the pipe of the evaporator.

6. The refrigerator as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The buckle has an arc-shaped structure.

7. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main body also includes a connecting part, one end of which is connected to the mounting groove, and the other end of which is connected to the buffer part.

8. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible connector includes a first flexible connector and a second flexible connector. The first flexible connector and the second flexible connector are respectively disposed on both sides of the evaporator. The first flexible connector is connected to the housing through a mounting component. The bottom surface of the second flexible connector is 1 mm higher than the first flexible connector.

9. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple flexible connectors are respectively located at both ends of the evaporator along its length.

10. The refrigerator as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The flexible connector is also located at the middle of the evaporator along its length.

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