Refrigeration device and defrosting method of refrigeration device

Abstract

A refrigeration device and a defrosting method of a refrigeration device. The refrigeration device comprises a freezing compartment (10), a refrigeration compartment (20), an evaporator compartment (1), and an evaporator (3) arranged in the evaporator compartment (1), and the evaporator compartment (1) is arranged at the bottom of the freezing compartment (10). The refrigeration device further comprises a refrigeration air return duct (2), a part of the refrigeration air return duct (2) is arranged at the bottom of the evaporator compartment (1) and extends from back to front to be arranged under the evaporator (3), and a refrigeration air return port (211) is located under the front end of the evaporator (3).

Description

Refrigeration equipment and defrosting method for refrigeration equipment

[0001] This application is based on the Chinese patent application with application number CN202311126145.1 and application date September 1, 2023, and claims the priority of the Chinese patent application. The entire content of the above patent application is hereby introduced into this application as a reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, and in particular to a refrigeration equipment and a defrosting method for the refrigeration equipment. Background Art

[0003] A refrigerator with a bottom-mounted evaporator has the evaporator chamber located at the bottom of the freezer compartment. In existing refrigerators with a bottom-mounted evaporator, the refrigerated return air is connected to the side of the evaporator chamber and then returns to both sides of the freezer compartment. The refrigerated return air ducts on both sides of the freezer compartment limit the space of the freezer compartment and reduce the width of the freezer compartment in the left and right directions. In addition, the side return air causes uneven heat, which can easily cause ice to form at the return air outlet, affecting the circulation of cold air.

[0004] The reference to any prior art in the specification is not an acknowledgement or suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any jurisdiction, or that it could reasonably be expected that the person skilled in the art would understand, consider relevant and / or combine with other prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide a refrigeration device and a defrosting method for the refrigeration device. The refrigeration device sets the evaporator chamber at the bottom of the freezer compartment, and part of the refrigerated return air duct is placed at the bottom of the evaporator chamber and extends from the back to the front, so that the refrigerated return air is the bottom return air, which solves the problem of reduced freezer compartment space in the existing technology of the bottom-mounted evaporator refrigerator.

[0006] In order to achieve one of the above-mentioned application purposes, one embodiment of the present application provides a refrigeration device, which is formed with a freezer compartment, a cold storage compartment, and an evaporator compartment, and also includes an evaporator arranged in the evaporator compartment, and the evaporator compartment is arranged at the bottom of the freezer compartment. The refrigeration device also includes a cold storage return air duct connected to the cold storage compartment, part of the cold storage return air duct is arranged at the bottom of the evaporator compartment, and extends from back to front and is arranged below the evaporator, and the cold storage return air duct is formed with a cold storage return air outlet, and the cold storage return air outlet is located below the front end of the evaporator.

[0007] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the evaporator chamber includes a first evaporator chamber and a second evaporator chamber arranged in front and behind and connected to each other, the evaporator is arranged in the first evaporator chamber, and part of the refrigerated return air duct is arranged at the bottom of the first evaporator chamber.

[0008] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, a compensating heating wire is provided below the first evaporator chamber, and the compensating heating wire covers the bottom of the first evaporator chamber.

[0009] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, a water receiving tray is provided at the bottom of the evaporator chamber, and the water receiving tray is provided at the front end of the evaporator chamber.

[0010] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, in the front-to-back direction of the refrigeration equipment, the evaporator chamber is arranged to be tilted downward from the back to the front.

[0011] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the inclination angle of the second evaporator chamber is greater than the inclination angle of the first evaporator chamber.

[0012] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the refrigeration equipment also includes an air supply duct connected to the rear end of the second evaporator chamber, the air supply duct is connected to the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment, and provides cooling for the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment.

[0013] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the refrigeration device further includes a fan assembly disposed in the second evaporator chamber, the fan assembly including an evaporating fan and a volute, the volute including an air inlet end and an air outlet end;

[0014] An air supply port is provided at the rear end of the evaporator chamber, the evaporator chamber and the air supply duct are communicated with each other through the air supply port, and the air outlet end of the volute overlaps with the air supply port.

[0015] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present application, a refrigeration return air outlet is provided at the front end of the evaporator chamber, and the air supply duct is provided with a refrigeration air outlet connected to the freezing compartment and a refrigeration air outlet connected to the refrigeration compartment, thereby realizing air circulation between the freezing compartment and the evaporator chamber, and air circulation between the refrigeration compartment and the evaporator chamber.

[0016] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the refrigerated return air duct is connected to the evaporator chamber through the refrigerated return air port, and then extends to the side of the freezer compartment and is connected to the refrigerated compartment.

[0017] One embodiment of the present application further provides a defrosting method for the refrigeration device as described above, wherein the refrigeration device further includes a defrosting heating wire disposed beside the evaporator and a compensating heating wire disposed below the evaporator chamber. The defrosting method includes the following steps:

[0018] Get defrost instructions;

[0019] Control the operation of defrost heating wire and compensation heating wire;

[0020] Obtain the evaporator temperature and compare it with the preset evaporator temperature. If the evaporator temperature is greater than or equal to the preset evaporator temperature, the defrost heating wire and the compensation heating wire are controlled to stop working.

[0021] Among them, the conditions for issuing the defrost command are: the cumulative working time of the compressor ≥ the preset working time of the compressor, or the cumulative opening time of the door ≥ the preset opening time of the door.

[0022] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the preset temperature of the evaporator is 8° C., the preset working time of the compressor is 8 hours, and the preset opening time of the door is 15 minutes.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0024] The refrigeration equipment provided in this application places the evaporator chamber, which houses the evaporator, at the bottom of the freezer compartment. The refrigerated return air duct is positioned at the bottom of the evaporator chamber and extends from back to front, thus avoiding the reduction in the left and right side space of the freezer compartment caused by side return air. Furthermore, the portion of the refrigerated return air duct positioned below the evaporator prevents the hot air in the freezer compartment from directly coming into contact with the cold air in the evaporator chamber. Instead, the hot air is gradually cooled by the evaporator through the portion of the refrigerated return air duct, thereby lowering the temperature of the hot air and preventing it from condensing into water droplets upon encountering the cold air and then gradually freezing in the low temperature of the evaporator chamber.

[0025] As used herein, the term "comprise" and variations of the term, such as "comprises," "comprised," "comprising," "including," and "containing" do not exclude other features, components, elements, or steps unless the context clearly requires otherwise. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of the refrigeration device in an embodiment of the present application with the outer shell removed.

[0027] FIG2 is a front view of the structure in FIG1 .

[0028] FIG3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG2 .

[0029] FIG4 is an enlarged schematic diagram of point B in FIG3 .

[0030] FIG5 is a flow chart of a defrosting method for a refrigeration device in an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Description of reference numerals:

[0032] 10. Freezer compartment; 20. Refrigerator compartment; 1. Evaporator compartment; 11. First evaporator compartment; 111. Refrigerator return air outlet; 12. Second evaporator compartment; 121. Supply air outlet; 2. Refrigerator return air duct; 21. First refrigerator return air duct; 211. Refrigerator return air outlet; 22. Second refrigerator return air duct; 3. Evaporator; 4. Volute; 5. Compensating heater wire; 6. Drain tray; 7. Supply air duct; 71. Freezer air outlet; 72. Refrigerator air outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0034] As used herein, terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "front," "back," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer" that indicate spatial relative positions are used for ease of explanation to describe the relationship of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the accompanying drawings. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation other than the orientation shown in the drawings.

[0035] For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

[0036] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0037] Furthermore, it should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or structures, the objects being described should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish the objects being described from one another. For example, a first refrigerated return air duct may be referred to as a second refrigerated return air duct, and similarly, a second refrigerated return air duct may be referred to as a first refrigerated return air duct without departing from the scope of protection of this application.

[0038] An embodiment of the present application provides a refrigeration device, as shown in Figures 1-4 , comprising a freezer compartment 10, a refrigerator compartment 20, and an evaporator compartment 1. The refrigeration device further comprises an evaporator 3 disposed within the evaporator compartment 1, which is disposed at the bottom of the freezer compartment 10. The refrigeration device further comprises a refrigerator return air duct 2 communicating with the refrigerator compartment 20. A portion of the refrigerator return air duct 2 is disposed at the bottom of the evaporator compartment 1 and extends from the back to the front below the evaporator 3. The refrigerator return air duct 2 comprises a refrigerator return air port 211, which is located below the front end of the evaporator 3. In Figures 1 to 4 , to facilitate viewing of the coordination between the ducts and the compartments, the outer shell of the refrigerator compartment is removed, and only the inner liner forming the freezer compartment 10 and the refrigerator compartment 20 and the ducts are shown.

[0039] In this embodiment, in order to facilitate distinction, the refrigerated return air duct 2 is divided into a first refrigerated return air duct 21 and a second refrigerated return air duct 22, wherein the portion of the refrigerated return air duct arranged in the evaporator chamber 1 is the first refrigerated return air duct 21, and the portion of the refrigerated return air duct located outside the evaporator chamber 1 is the second refrigerated return air duct 22.

[0040] The evaporator chamber 1 is arranged at the bottom of the freezer compartment 10 instead of at the rear side of the refrigeration compartment 20, thereby increasing the capacity in the front-to-back direction of the refrigeration equipment; the first refrigeration return air duct 21 is arranged at the bottom of the evaporator compartment 1 from front to rear, thereby avoiding the connection between the refrigeration return air duct 2 and the two sides of the evaporator compartment 1. The refrigeration return air duct 2 does not need to be arranged on both sides of the freezer compartment 10, thereby increasing the capacity of the freezer compartment 10 in the left-right direction of the refrigeration equipment.

[0041] In addition, since the first refrigerated return air duct 21 is arranged at the bottom of the evaporator chamber 1 from back to front and is located below the evaporator 3, the relatively hot air flowing out of the refrigerated compartment 20 flows into the second refrigerated return air duct 22 after flowing through the first refrigerated return air duct 21. When the hot air flows in the second refrigerated return air duct 22, the temperature of the hot air gradually decreases under the cooling of the evaporator 3, and then the refrigerated return air port 211 at the front end of the second refrigerated return air duct 22 meets the cold air in the evaporator chamber 1, reducing the temperature difference between the hot and cold air, preventing the water vapor in the hot air from condensing into water droplets after the hot air is pre-cooled, thereby preventing the water droplets from solidifying into frost at low temperatures for a long time and blocking the return air port.

[0042] Specifically, the evaporator chamber 1 of the refrigeration equipment provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a first evaporator chamber 11 and a second evaporator chamber 12 arranged in front and behind and connected to each other, the evaporator 3 is arranged in the first evaporator chamber 11, and the refrigeration equipment also includes a fan assembly arranged in the second evaporator chamber 12.

[0043] Furthermore, a compensating heating wire 5 is provided below the first evaporator chamber 11. The compensating heating wire 5 covers the bottom of the first evaporator chamber 11. In other words, the compensating heating wire 5 is provided below the freezer compartment 10 and is closely attached to the bottom wall of the freezer compartment 10. After the evaporator 3 has been operating for a long time and frost still forms at the refrigerated air return vent 211, the compensating heating wire 5 can be turned on to heat the frost and melt it.

[0044] Furthermore, a water collecting pan 6 with a drain pipe connected to the bottom is provided at the bottom of the evaporator chamber 1. The water collecting pan 6 is provided at the front end of the evaporator chamber 1, specifically below the hot air outlet of the refrigerated return air outlet 211, so that the defrost water after the frost formed at the refrigerated return air outlet 211 melts flows into the water collecting pan 6 and is then discharged from the evaporator chamber 1 through the drain pipe.

[0045] Furthermore, in the front-to-back direction of the refrigeration equipment, the evaporator chamber 1 is tilted downward from back to front as a whole, and the inclination angle of the second evaporator chamber 12 is much greater than that of the first evaporator chamber 11. On the one hand, the downward tilt of the second evaporator chamber 12 creates a space at its lower end for accommodating the compressor. On the other hand, the first evaporator chamber 11 is tilted, and because the water receiving pan 6 is located at the front end of the evaporator chamber 1, whether frost forms at the refrigerated return air inlet 211 or at the bottom of the first evaporator chamber 11, after the compensating heater 5 defrosts, the tilted first evaporator chamber 11 allows the defrosted water to flow forward, ultimately into the water receiving pan 6, and then out through the drain pipe.

[0046] Furthermore, the refrigeration equipment also includes an air supply duct 7 connected to the freezer compartment 10, the refrigerator compartment 20 and the evaporator compartment 1. The air supply duct 7 is connected to the rear end of the second evaporator compartment 12, and the cold air cooled by the evaporator 3 in the first evaporator compartment 11 is transmitted to the freezer compartment 10 and the refrigerator compartment 20 under the action of the fan assembly.

[0047] Specifically, the fan assembly includes an evaporator fan and a volute 4 mounted outside the evaporator fan. As shown in Figure 4, the volute 4 includes an air inlet and an air outlet. An air supply port 121 is formed at the rear end of the second evaporator chamber 12. The evaporator chamber 1 and the air supply duct 7 are connected through the air supply port 121, and the air outlet end of the volute 4 overlaps with the air supply port 121. In addition, a refrigerated air return port 111 is formed at the front end of the first evaporator chamber 11. The air supply duct 7 is provided with a refrigerated air outlet 71 connected to the freezer compartment 10 and a refrigerated air outlet 72 connected to the refrigerator compartment 20. The refrigerated air outlet 71 is located in the middle of the rear side of the freezer compartment 10, and the refrigerated air outlet 72 is located on both sides of the rear side of the refrigerator compartment 20.

[0048] The cold air in the freezer compartment 10 enters the evaporator compartment 1 from the freezing return air outlet 111 at the front end of the evaporator compartment 1. The air in the refrigerated compartment 20 passes through the second refrigerated return air duct 22. After being pre-cooled by the evaporator 3 in the first refrigerated return air duct 21, the air enters the evaporator compartment 1 from the refrigerated return air outlet 211. After merging with the return air from the freezer compartment 10, the air flows through the evaporator 3 under the action of the evaporating fan and is refrigerated. The air then flows into the second evaporator compartment 12, enters the volute 4 from the air inlet end of the volute 4, and enters the air supply channel from the air outlet end of the volute 4, that is, the air supply outlet 121. The cold air in the air supply duct 7 flows through the freezing air outlet 71 and the refrigerated air outlet 72 respectively, and then enters the freezer compartment 10 and the refrigerated compartment 20 respectively, thereby realizing air circulation between the freezer compartment 10 and the evaporator compartment 1, and between the refrigerated compartment 20 and the evaporator compartment 1.

[0049] Furthermore, the refrigerated compartment 20 is positioned above and the freezer compartment 10 is positioned below. Since the evaporator compartment 1 is positioned on the bottom wall of the freezer compartment 10, the first refrigerated return air duct 21 and the second refrigerated return air duct 22 are connected at the rear end of the first evaporator compartment 11. The second refrigerated return air duct 22 then extends to the side of the freezer compartment 10 before extending upward to connect with the refrigerated compartment 20. Because the temperature of the freezer compartment 10 is relatively low and the insulation layer outside the freezer compartment 10 is relatively thick, the second refrigerated return air branch duct is positioned within the insulation layer beside the freezer compartment 10, without reducing the lateral capacity of the freezer compartment 10.

[0050] The embodiment of the present application further provides a defrosting method for a refrigeration device. The refrigeration device is the aforementioned refrigeration device. In addition, the refrigeration device further includes a defrosting heating wire disposed beside the evaporator 3. The defrosting method includes the following steps:

[0051] Get defrost instructions;

[0052] Control the operation of the defrost heating wire and the compensation heating wire 5;

[0053] Obtain the temperature of the evaporator 3 and compare the temperature of the evaporator 3 with the preset temperature of the evaporator 3. If the temperature of the evaporator 3 is greater than or equal to the preset temperature of the evaporator 3, the defrost heating wire and the compensation heating wire 5 are controlled to stop working;

[0054] Among them, the conditions for issuing the defrost command are: the cumulative working time of the compressor ≥ the preset working time of the compressor, or the cumulative opening time of the door ≥ the preset opening time of the door.

[0055] When the cumulative operation time of the compressor exceeds a certain time, that is, during the cumulative time, the compressor is working and the evaporator 3 is cooling, and the cooling time is too long, it is easy to cause ice to form on the evaporator 3 and ice to form at the refrigerated return air inlet 211. Therefore, it is necessary to open the defrost heating wire and the compensating heating wire 5 to defrost. Similarly, if the door is opened for too long, the outside hot air will enter the refrigeration compartment, causing the temperature of the refrigeration compartment to rise, thereby requiring the compressor to work and the evaporator 3 to cool. In other words, opening the door will increase the operating time of the compressor. Therefore, when the cumulative opening time of the door exceeds a certain value, the defrost heating wire and the compensating heating wire 5 are required to defrost.

[0056] After the defrost heating wire and the compensation heating wire 5 are turned on, the temperature of the evaporator 3 is detected. When the temperature of the evaporator 3 is ≥ the preset temperature of the evaporator 3, it is considered that the frost on the evaporator 3 has completely melted, and the defrosting of the evaporator 3 can be stopped. However, the temperature of the evaporator 3 is very low, and the evaporator 3 is most prone to ice formation and the amount of ice is the largest. When the frost on the evaporator 3 melts, the ice at other locations has also melted. Therefore, when the defrost heating wire stops working, the compensation heating wire 5 can also stop working.

[0057] Preferably, the preset temperature of the evaporator 3 is 8° C., the preset working time of the compressor is 8 hours, and the preset opening time of the door is 15 minutes.

[0058] It should be understood that although this specification is described in terms of implementation methods, not every implementation method contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative method of the specification is only for the sake of clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each implementation method can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0059] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific descriptions of feasible implementation methods of this application. They are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any equivalent implementation methods or changes that do not deviate from the technical spirit of this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A refrigeration device, comprising a freezing compartment, a refrigerating compartment, and an evaporator compartment, and further comprising an evaporator disposed in the evaporator compartment, wherein the evaporator compartment is disposed at the bottom of the freezing compartment, wherein: The refrigeration equipment also includes a refrigerated return air duct connected to the refrigerated compartment, part of the refrigerated return air duct is arranged at the bottom of the evaporator chamber, and extends from back to front and is arranged below the evaporator, and the refrigerated return air duct forms a refrigerated return air port, and the refrigerated return air port is located below the front end of the evaporator.

2. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The evaporator chamber comprises a first evaporator chamber and a second evaporator chamber which are arranged front and back and communicate with each other. The evaporator is arranged in the first evaporator chamber, and part of the refrigeration return air duct is arranged at the bottom of the first evaporator chamber.

3. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: A compensating heating wire is arranged below the first evaporator chamber, and the compensating heating wire covers the bottom of the first evaporator chamber.

4. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: A water receiving tray is arranged at the bottom of the evaporator chamber, and the water receiving tray is arranged at the front end of the evaporator chamber.

5. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the front-to-rear direction of the refrigeration device, the evaporator chamber is arranged to be inclined downward from the back to the front.

6. The refrigeration device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inclination angle of the second evaporator chamber is greater than the inclination angle of the first evaporator chamber.

7. The refrigeration equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes an air supply duct connected to the rear end of the second evaporator chamber, the air supply duct is connected to the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber, and supplies cold air to the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber.

8. The refrigeration device according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also included is a fan assembly disposed in the second evaporator chamber, the fan assembly comprising an evaporating fan and a volute, the volute comprising an air inlet end and an air outlet end; An air supply port is provided at the rear end of the evaporator chamber, the evaporator chamber and the air supply duct are communicated through the air supply port, and the air outlet end of the volute overlaps with the air supply port.

9. The refrigeration device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A freezing return air outlet is provided at the front end of the evaporator chamber, and a freezing air outlet connected to the freezing chamber and a refrigerating air outlet connected to the refrigerating chamber are provided in the air supply duct, so as to realize air circulation between the freezing chamber and the evaporator chamber and air circulation between the refrigerating chamber and the evaporator chamber.

10. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigeration return air duct is connected to the evaporator chamber through the refrigeration return air port, and then extends to the side of the freezing compartment and is connected to the refrigeration compartment.

11. A defrosting method for refrigeration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigeration device further comprises a defrosting heating wire arranged beside the evaporator and a compensating heating wire arranged below the evaporator chamber. The defrosting method comprises the following steps: Get defrost instructions; Control the operation of defrost heating wire and compensation heating wire; Obtain the evaporator temperature and compare the evaporator temperature with the evaporator preset temperature. If the evaporator temperature is ≥ the evaporator preset temperature, the defrost heating wire and the compensation heating wire are controlled to stop working. Among them, the conditions for issuing the defrost command are: the cumulative working time of the compressor ≥ the preset working time of the compressor, or the cumulative opening time of the door ≥ the preset opening time of the door.

12. The defrosting method for refrigeration equipment according to claim 11, characterized in that: The preset temperature of the evaporator is 8°C, the preset working time of the compressor is 8 hours, and the preset opening time of the door is 15 minutes.

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