CN114076452A

CN114076452A - Refrigerator with improved front-end air return structure of cooling chamber

Info

Publication number: CN114076452A
Application number: CN202010832827.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 董凌云; 费斌; 王常志; 陈建全
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-08-18
Filing date: 2020-08-18
Publication date: 2022-02-22
Anticipated expiration: 2040-08-18
Also published as: CN114076452B

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator with an improved front-end air return structure of a cooling chamber. This box includes: a bottom inner container; the evaporator upper cover is transversely arranged in the bottom inner container to divide the bottom inner container into a cooling chamber for arranging an evaporator of the refrigerator and a storage space for placing articles; the air return cover extends downwards from the front end of the upper cover of the evaporator and serves as the front wall of the cooling chamber, the air return cover comprises a frame and a panel positioned in the frame, a first front air return opening is formed in the upper portion of the panel, a second front air return opening is formed between the bottom of the panel and the frame, and the storage space is communicated with the cooling chamber through the first front air return opening and the second front air return opening so that the return air of the storage space returns to the cooling chamber through the first front air return opening and the second front air return opening. Through improving the return air cover structure, avoided the emergence of the uneven condition with the gathering of amount of wind distribution, improved return air efficiency, make the return air more smooth and easy.

Description

Refrigerator with improved front-end air return structure of cooling chamber

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of household appliances, in particular to a refrigerator with an improved front-end air return structure of a cooling chamber.

Background

Compared with a traditional rear-mounted evaporator refrigerator, the air distribution in the freezing chamber of the bottom-mounted evaporator refrigerator is more uniform, the temperature is more constant, and the food material protection performance is more excellent. Depending on the manner in which the evaporator bottom-mounted refrigerator returns air, as opposed to the manner in which the back evaporator returns air from the bottom of the duct. The refrigeration airflow circulation of the evaporator bottom-mounted refrigerator is as follows: the air flow returning from the refrigerator chamber enters the cooling chamber through the air return front cover at the front end of the refrigerator, is cooled by the evaporator and then returns to the refrigerator chamber through the freezing fan and the air supply duct. It is clear that the return air front cover is a very important component in the return air system.

The existing air return front cover structure easily causes uneven air volume, and the air return efficiency is influenced by gathering at the air return opening and the inside of a cooling chamber.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of solving the above-mentioned problems by improving a front-end return air structure of a cooling compartment.

A further object of the present invention is to improve the return air conditions.

It is a further object of the present invention to simplify the return air hood structure.

Particularly, the invention provides a refrigerator with an improved front-end air return structure of a cooling chamber, which comprises a box body, wherein the box body comprises: a bottom inner container; the evaporator upper cover is transversely arranged in the bottom inner container to divide the bottom inner container into a cooling chamber for arranging an evaporator of the refrigerator and a storage space for placing articles; the air return cover extends downwards from the front end of the upper cover of the evaporator and serves as the front wall of the cooling chamber, the air return cover comprises a frame and a panel positioned in the frame, a first front air return opening is formed in the upper portion of the panel, a second front air return opening is formed between the bottom of the panel and the frame, and the storage space is communicated with the cooling chamber through the first front air return opening and the second front air return opening so that the return air of the storage space returns to the cooling chamber through the first front air return opening and the second front air return opening.

Further, the panel includes: a first plate surface extending obliquely downward from the rear to the front from the front end of the evaporator upper cover; the second face, from the preceding downward sloping extension backward of the front end of first face to the direction of cooling chamber is sunken, first preceding return air inlet is seted up on the second face.

Further, the included angle range of the first plate surface and the horizontal plane is set to be 25-30 degrees; the included angle range of the second plate surface and the first plate surface is set to be 55 degrees to 65 degrees. Further, the panel further comprises: a third plate surface extending obliquely downward from the rear end of the second plate surface from back to front so as to project forward; a fourth plate surface extending from the front end of the third plate surface obliquely downward from front to back so as to be recessed in the direction of the cooling chamber; and the fifth plate surface continuously extends downwards from the rear end of the fourth plate surface backwards in a downward inclination manner, the inclination angle of the fifth plate surface is smaller than that of the fourth plate surface, and the second front air return opening is formed between the fifth plate surface and the frame.

Further, the included angle range of the third plate surface and the horizontal plane is set to be 21 degrees to 25 degrees, and the included angle range of the fourth plate surface and the third plate surface is set to be 75 degrees to 79 degrees.

Further, the front end of the third board surface is more rearward than the front end of the first board surface.

Furthermore, a wind guide surface parallel to the fifth plate surface is formed at the position, opposite to the fifth plate surface, of the frame, and the fifth plate surface and the wind guide surface jointly form a wind channel for guiding the return wind of the second front return air inlet into obliquely downward blowing.

Further, the included angle range of the fifth plate surface and the horizontal plane is set to be 9 degrees to 11 degrees.

Further, the frame and the panel are integrated.

Further, the evaporator is integrally in a flat cuboid shape and is arranged at the front part of the cooling chamber in an inclined manner from front to back, the inclined angle range of the evaporator is set to be 7-8 degrees, and the first front air return inlet is basically flush with the top surface of the evaporator in the vertical direction; the projection of the second front air return opening in the vertical direction is basically flush with the middle part of the evaporator.

The refrigerator return air cover is provided with two return air inlets, the upper part of the panel is provided with a first front return air inlet, and a second front return air inlet is formed between the bottom of the panel and the frame. Through improving the return air cover structure, avoided the emergence of the uneven condition with the gathering of amount of wind distribution, improved return air efficiency and made the freezer return air more smooth and easy.

Furthermore, the second plate surface of the air return cover is concave towards the inside of the cooling chamber, and grid holes for returning air are hidden, so that the appearance is more attractive, dust or foreign matters at the grid are prevented from entering the grid, and the refrigeration performance is prevented from being influenced.

Furthermore, the design structure of each inclined section of the return air cover plate surface can guide the condensed water formed on the return air cover, so that the water is convenient to drain, the water drop sound which can be sensed by human ears can be avoided, and the use experience of a user is improved.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Some specific embodiments of the invention will be described in detail hereinafter, by way of illustration and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in the drawings identify the same or similar elements or components. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a schematic front view of a cabinet in a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the case shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along section line A-A in FIG. 1, illustrating the longitudinal dimension of the various components;

FIG. 5 is also a schematic cross-sectional view taken along section line A-A in FIG. 1, illustrating the forward and rearward depth dimensions of the various components;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along section line B-B in FIG. 1;

fig. 7 is a schematic structural view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention after a door is closed;

FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view taken along section line C-C of FIG. 1, showing the specific mounting configuration of the return air cover;

FIG. 9 is a schematic enlarged view of region D in FIG. 8;

fig. 10 is a schematic front view of a return hood of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

fig. 11 is a schematic rear view of the return hood of fig. 10.

Detailed Description

In the description of the present embodiment, it is to be understood that the terms "longitudinal direction", "lateral direction", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "depth", and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships that are based on the orientation in a normal use state of the refrigerator as a reference, and can be determined with reference to the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, for example, "front" indicating the orientation refers to the side of the refrigerator facing the user. This is merely to facilitate description of the invention and to simplify the description, and is not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element so referred to must be in a particular orientation, constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus should not be taken to be limiting of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a schematic front view of a cabinet 100 in a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the casing 100 shown in fig. 1. Fig. 1 and 2 mainly show the structure of the bottom portion of the cabinet 100.

The refrigerator of the present embodiment may generally include a cabinet 100, and the cabinet 100 may include a case, an inner container, an insulation layer, and other accessories. The outer casing is the outer layer structure of the refrigerator and protects the whole refrigerator. In order to insulate the heat conduction from the outside, a heat insulation layer is provided between the outer shell and the inner container of the cabinet 100, and the heat insulation layer is generally formed by a foaming process. The inner container may be one or more, and may be classified into a refrigerating inner container, a temperature-changing inner container, a freezing inner container, and the like according to the function.

A plurality of inner containers may be arranged in an up-down arrangement, and in this embodiment the bottom inner container 101 defines a cooling chamber 110 and a storage space 120. Wherein the storage space 120 may be a space for storing articles at the lowermost portion of the refrigerator. Typically, the bottom liner 101 is a freezer liner and the storage space 120 forms a freezer compartment. A temperature-changing chamber defined by the temperature-changing liner and a refrigerating chamber defined by the refrigerating liner can be arranged above the freezing chamber according to requirements. The number and the functions of the specific storage compartments can be configured according to the requirements of the refrigerator, the requirements on the size are the highest due to the fact that the parts in the bottom liner 101 are the most complex, and the overall sizes of other liners can be configured correspondingly according to the size of the bottom liner 101. The front side of the cabinet 100 is further provided with a door to open or close the storage compartment, and the door is hidden in the drawing in order to show the internal structure of the cabinet 100.

In the refrigerator of the present embodiment, a ratio of the volume of the storage space 120 to the entire volume of the cabinet 100 is set to be greater than or equal to 17.9%, for example, to be 17.9%, so as to improve the space utilization efficiency of the storage space 120. In a preferred embodiment, the volume of the case 100 may be set to 992.2dm³The volume of the storage space 120 is 178L, and the ratio of the volume of the storage space 120 to the whole volume of the box body 100 is 17.9%. The arrangement improves the effective utilization rate of the storage space 120 under the condition of ensuring the space occupied by the box body 100. The volume of the storage space 120 and the overall ratio of the box 100 are optimized according to the space requirement and the refrigeration performance requirement, and the effect of the trial product is verified. Under the condition of reducing the size of the box body, the volume of the storage space 120 can be ensured to be unchanged, and the volume requirement of the freezing chamber is met.

An evaporator upper cover 130 and a longitudinal partition 140 can be disposed within the bottom liner 101. The evaporator upper cover 130 is transversely provided in the bottom inner container 101 to divide the bottom inner container 101 into a cooling chamber 110 for arranging the refrigerator evaporator 340 and a storage space 120 for placing articles. The evaporator upper cover 130 serves as both a bottom wall of the storage space 120 and a top of the cooling chamber, and the storage space 120 above it is used to store articles.

And the longitudinal partition plate 140 is arranged in the middle of the storage space 120 and divides the storage space 120 into two storage cavities which are transversely arranged. That is, the storage space 120 has a left storage chamber and a right storage chamber, and the two storage chambers can be respectively provided with door bodies to form a split door structure.

Fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. The refrigeration system 300 may be a refrigeration cycle system composed of a compressor 310, a condenser 320, a throttle device 330, an evaporator 340, and the like. The evaporator 340 is configured to directly or indirectly provide cooling energy into the storage space 120. The refrigerator realizes the circulation of the refrigerating airflow in the evaporator 340 and the storage compartment through the air path system. Because the cycle structure and the operation principle of the refrigeration system itself are well known and easy to be realized by those skilled in the art, the refrigeration system itself will not be described in detail hereinafter in order to avoid obscuring and obscuring the invention of the present application.

The air supply assembly 400 is used for circulating an air flow between the cooling chamber and the storage space 120, and may specifically include a centrifugal fan 410 and an air supply duct 420.

In order to satisfy the refrigeration requirement of the refrigerator, the rated refrigeration power or the maximum refrigeration power of the refrigeration system of the embodiment is set to be not lower than 150 watts (150W). That is, the refrigerating capacity of the refrigerating system is not less than 150W.

Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along section line a-a in fig. 1, showing the longitudinal dimension of the components. FIG. 5 is also a schematic cross-sectional view taken along section line A-A in FIG. 1, illustrating the forward and rearward depth dimensions of the various components; and fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along section line B-B in fig. 1. Hatching is omitted in fig. 4, 5 and 6 for ease of illustration of the particular components, only the outlines of the components remaining.

The cooling chamber 110 is disposed below the storage space 120, and is used for arranging the evaporator 340 and a part of the air supply assembly 400. Compared with the conventional refrigerator in which the evaporator 340 is disposed at the rear of the cabinet, in the refrigerator of the present embodiment, the evaporator 340 is disposed in the cooling chamber 110, so that on one hand, the depth dimension (distance in the front-rear direction) of the cabinet 100 is reduced, and the depth dimension is used for the storage space 120 as much as possible; on the other hand, the bottom of the storage space 120 is increased, so that inconvenience in use caused by the fact that a user needs to bend over or squat down greatly to take and place articles is avoided.

The depth dimension of the cabinet 100 of the refrigerator of the present embodiment in the front-rear direction is set to be equal to or less than 510 mm. After a large amount of structure optimization works, the evaporator 340 of the refrigeration system with rated refrigeration power or maximum refrigeration power not lower than 150 watts is arranged in the cooling chamber 110 of the refrigerator of the embodiment under the condition that the depth dimension is less than or equal to 510mm, so that the requirements of normal operation and energy consumption standard of the refrigerator are met.

The evaporator 340 is flat and rectangular as a whole. I.e., the thickness dimension of the evaporator 340 perpendicular to the support surface is significantly less than the length dimension of the evaporator 340. The evaporator 340 may be a fin evaporator, and the fins are arranged in a direction parallel to the front-rear depth direction, so as to facilitate the airflow passing through from front to rear.

In the refrigerator of the present invention, the evaporator 340 is a flat rectangular parallelepiped and is disposed in the cooling chamber 110 in an inclined manner from front to back, which breaks through the technical benefits of the prior art that depth size reduction requires horizontal placement of the evaporator 340, and although the inclined placement of the flat rectangular parallelepiped evaporator 340 increases the length in the front-back direction, the inclined placement thereof makes the arrangement of other components in the cooling chamber 110 more reasonable, and the actual airflow field analysis proves that the wind circulation efficiency is also higher and the water drainage is also more smooth. The oblique arrangement of the evaporator 340 is one of the main technical improvements made by the present embodiment. The inclination angle of the evaporator 340 is set to 7 to 8 degrees, and may be set to 7.2 degrees, 7.5 degrees, 7.8 degrees, and preferably 7.5 degrees, for example.

In order to reduce the depth dimension in the front-rear direction, the refrigerator of the present embodiment is strictly set for the positions and the dimensions of the components in the cooling chamber 110 in the front-rear direction, wherein the length of the horizontal projection of the evaporator 340 in the front-rear direction accounts for less than 30% of the depth dimension of the cabinet 100 in the front-rear direction, and may be set to 29.8%, for example. The depth dimension of the case 100 in the front-rear direction means the entire horizontal length from the front end to the rear end. The size and arrangement of the evaporator 340 are optimized according to the space requirement and the refrigeration performance requirement, and the effect of the trial-manufactured product is verified.

The air supply assembly 400 of the refrigerator of the present embodiment is disposed behind the evaporator 340. The air supply assembly 400 may include a centrifugal fan 410 and an air supply duct 420. Wherein the centrifugal fan 410 is obliquely arranged at the rear of the evaporator 340, the air suction opening thereof faces to the front upper direction, and is configured to promote the formation of the refrigerant air flow sent to the storage space 120 via the evaporator 340; the horizontal distance from the front end of the centrifugal fan 410 to the evaporator 340 accounts for less than 4.5%, for example, 4.3% of the depth of the case 100 in the front-rear direction.

The centrifugal fan 410 is located at the rear of the evaporator 340, and includes a volute (not shown) and an impeller (not shown) disposed in the volute, and is configured to promote the formation of a refrigerant airflow and provide a circulating power of the refrigerant airflow. The volute comprises a lower box body and an upper cover body which are buckled, and the volute is convenient to disassemble and assemble. The suction inlet of the centrifugal fan 410 is generally located at the center of the volute and may be at a height above the top end of the evaporator 340.

The air outlet of the centrifugal fan 410 is located on the rear side and is configured to supply air obliquely rearward. And an air supply duct 420 communicated with an air outlet of the centrifugal fan 410, extending upward, and configured to deliver the refrigerant air flow to the storage space 120. An air supply opening 421 communicated with the air supply duct 420 is opened in the rear wall of the storage space 120 to discharge the refrigerant air into the storage space 120. The thickness of the vertical section extending upward of the air supply duct 420 in the front-rear direction accounts for less than 5.0%, for example, 4.9% of the depth of the cabinet 100 in the front-rear direction.

The length of the entire blower unit 400 in the front-rear direction as a projection in the horizontal direction accounts for less than 39.5%, for example, 39.2% of the depth of the cabinet 100 in the front-rear direction. The related size of the air channel is set according to the structural optimization made by the space requirement and the air supply performance requirement, and the effect verification of a trial-manufactured product is obtained.

The foaming layer of the box 100 is disposed outside the cooling chamber 110 and the storage space 120, that is, outside the bottom inner container 101, and surrounds the bottom inner container 101, and the thickness of the foaming layer at the back of the storage space 120 accounts for less than 11.2% of the depth of the box 100 in the front-back direction, and may be set to 11%, for example. The thickness of the foamed layer is in conflict with the heat insulating performance. The thickness of the foaming layer is structurally optimized according to the space requirement and the heat insulation performance requirement, and the effect of a trial product is verified.

An evaporator upper cover 130 transversely disposed in the bottom inner container 101 for partitioning the cooling chamber 110 and the storage space 120; an air return cover 131 extending downward from the front end of the evaporator upper cover 130 and serving as a front wall of the cooling chamber 110; the horizontal distance from the front end of the return air cover 131 to the front end of the casing 100 accounts for less than 4.9%, for example, 4.7% of the depth of the casing 100 in the front-rear direction. The return hood 131 includes a frame 134 and a panel 1310 located within the frame 134. The upper portion of the panel 1310 is provided with a first front air return opening 132, and a second front air return opening 133 is formed between the bottom of the panel 1310 and the frame 134. The storage space is communicated with the cooling chamber 110 through the first front air return opening 132 and the second front air return opening 133, so that the return air of the storage space returns to the cooling chamber 110 through the first front air return opening 132 and the second front air return opening 133 to exchange heat with the evaporator 340, and airflow circulation is formed between the cooling chamber 110 and the storage space 120. The distance between the return air cover 131 and the front of the box 100 is optimized according to the space requirement and the return air performance requirement, and the effect of the trial-manufactured product is verified.

The evaporator upper cover 130 includes a first upper cover portion 1301 positioned on the top of the evaporator 340 and disposed substantially horizontally, and the height thereof with respect to the bottom surface of the cabinet 100 may be set to be less than or equal to 200mm, for example, 199 mm. Under the condition that the depth size of the cooling chamber 110 is reduced, the storage space 120 is ensured to have a constant volume, and the utilization rate of the storage space 120 is improved. The height of the first upper cover 1301 relative to the bottom of the case 100 is optimized according to the space requirement, and the effect of the trial product is verified. The height of the first upper cover portion 1301 relative to the ground is reduced to 223.5mm, and the effective utilization rate of the storage space 120 is also increased.

A space between the first upper cover part 1301 and the evaporator 340 is filled with a heat insulating material, and a distance from a top of a front end of the evaporator 340 to the first upper cover part 1301 may be set to be less than or equal to 36mm, for example, 36mm, and a distance from a minimum distance of the evaporator 340 to the first upper cover part 1301 may be set to be less than or equal to 15mm, for example, 15 mm. The thickest part of the heat insulation and preservation material can be 36mm, and the thinnest part can be 15 mm. On the premise of ensuring the heat preservation and heat insulation performance, the thickness of the heat preservation and heat insulation material is compressed to be the thinnest. The distance between the evaporator 340 and the first upper cover 1301 and the distance between the front end of the evaporator 340 and the first upper cover 1301 are structurally optimized according to the space requirement and the heat preservation and insulation performance requirement, and the effect of the trial product is verified.

The evaporator upper cover 130 further includes a second upper cover portion 1302 formed to extend obliquely upward from the rear end of the first upper cover portion 1301. The second upper cover part 1302 is located at an upper portion of the centrifugal fan 410, and an inclination angle may be set to be identical to that of the centrifugal fan 410. The distance between the centrifugal fan 410 and the second upper cover portion 1302 is set to be less than or equal to 30mm, and may be set to be 30mm, for example. The height of the second upper cover 1302 may be set to be less than or equal to 93mm, for example, set to be 93mm, so as to ensure a suction space of the centrifugal fan 410 without affecting the cooling performance of the refrigerator. The distance between the centrifugal fan 410 and the second upper cover 1302 and the height of the second upper cover 1302 are optimized according to the space requirement and the refrigeration performance requirement, and the effect of the trial product is verified.

The bottom wall of the bottom liner 101 further includes a first inclined portion 1011, a second inclined portion 1012, and a third inclined portion 1013. A first inclined portion 1011 inclined downward from the front end of the bottom wall of the bottom inner container 101 from front to rear; the second inclined portion 1012 is provided to be inclined upward from the rear end of the first inclined portion 1011 from the front to the rear for supporting the evaporator 340, and the front end of the evaporator 340 collides with the first inclined portion 1011. A drain port 103 is provided at a position where the first inclined portion 1011 and the second inclined portion 1012 are connected to guide condensed water generated from the evaporator 340 into the drain pan. The height of the drain port 103 with respect to the bottom surface of the case 100 may be set to be less than or equal to 66mm, for example, to 66 mm. The position where the evaporator 340 collides against the first inclined portion 1011 may be set to a height of less than or equal to 22mm, for example, 22mm from the drain opening 103. The height of the water discharge port 103 is minimized on the premise of ensuring the water discharge angle. The height of the drain port 103 with respect to the bottom surface of the housing 100 and the distance between the position where the evaporator 340 collides with the first inclined portion 1011 and the height of the drain port 103 are structurally optimized according to the drainage performance requirement and the space requirement, and the effect of the trial product is verified. And a third inclined part 1013 inclined upward from the second inclined part 1012 from front to rear for supporting the centrifugal fan 410.

A compressor compartment 150 is provided under the cooling compartment 110 for mounting a compressor and a condenser of a refrigerator. The front of the top cover 151 of the cabin is parallel to the third inclined part 1013, which improves the fluidity of the foam layer. And the nacelle roof 151 is spaced from the bottom wall of the bottom liner 101. The distance between the front portion of the nacelle roof 151 and the third inclined portion 1013 in parallel may be set to 45mm or less, for example, may be set to 45 mm. The arrangement of the parallel distance between the front part of the nacelle roof 151 and the third inclined part 1013 is structurally optimized according to the space performance requirement, and the effect of the trial product is verified.

The outer side of the bottom inner container 101 is provided with a foaming layer. The thickness of the foaming layers on the two sides of the bottom liner 101 is set to be less than or equal to 65 mm. The overall width of the box body 100 is 905mm, and the volume of the storage space 120 can be increased after the thickness of the foaming layer is reduced. The thickness of the foamed layer is in conflict with the heat insulating performance. Reducing the thickness of the foamed layer to 65mm is a structural optimization made according to space requirements and heat insulation performance requirements, and the effect of a trial product is verified.

A foaming layer can be arranged between the top cover 151 of the press cabin and the bottom inner container 101, so that the heat of the press cabin 150 is prevented from influencing the freezing of the storage space 120. Due to the limit of the distance between the top cover 151 and the third inclined part 1013 of the press cabin, the thickness of the foaming layer on the two sides of the bottom liner 101 is less than or equal to 45 mm. The structural optimization is made according to the space requirement and the heat insulation performance requirement, and the effect verification of the trial-manufactured product is obtained.

A first front air return opening 132 and a second front air return opening 133 which are vertically distributed are formed at the front side of the air return cover 131, so that the visual appearance is attractive, and fingers of children or foreign matters can be effectively prevented from entering a cooling space; moreover, the two air return areas which are distributed up and down can enable the air return to flow through the evaporator 340 more uniformly after entering the cooling space, so that the problem that the front end face of the evaporator 340 is easy to frost can be avoided to a certain extent, the heat exchange efficiency can be improved, the defrosting period can be prolonged, and the energy conservation and the high efficiency are realized.

The wind returning covers 131 may be two and distributed left and right along the transverse direction, and are separated by a longitudinal partition 140. The two return hoods 131 may be provided in the same or symmetrical structure. The longitudinal partition 140 is disposed in the middle of the storage space 120, and divides the storage space 120 into two storage cavities arranged in the transverse direction, and each storage cavity is provided with an air return cover 131. The front of the longitudinal partition 140 is provided with an insulated vertical beam 141. The heat insulation vertical beam 141 is used for being matched with a door body of the storage cavity, and cold energy is prevented from being leaked from the edge of the door body.

Referring to fig. 7-11, the panel 1310 of the return air cover 131 may include a first panel 1311, a second panel 1312, a third panel 1313, a fourth panel 1314 and a fifth panel 1315.

The first plate 1311 extends obliquely downward from the rear to the front from the front end of the evaporator upper cover 130. The angle between the first plate surface 1311 and the horizontal plane is set to 25 degrees to 30 degrees, and may be set to 26 degrees, 27 degrees, or 28 degrees, and is preferably 27 degrees. The forward most end of the first panel 1311 is positioned above the top of the evaporator 340 to provide more space for the return air from the first forward return air opening 132 and to provide more adequate contact with the evaporator 340.

The second plate 1312 extends from the front end of the first plate 1311 to be inclined downward from the front to the rear, and is recessed toward the cooling chamber 110. The angle between the second plate 1312 and the first plate 1311 is 55 degrees to 65 degrees, and may be 57 degrees, 59 degrees, or 62 degrees, preferably 60 degrees.

The first front return air opening 132 is opened in the second plate surface 1312. The first front return air opening 132 is formed by a grid hole 1317 opened on the second plate surface 1312. The return air cover structure in the prior art easily causes uneven distribution of return air volume, and airflow aggregation is generated in the area near the return air inlet (such as the front end of the upper cover of the return air cover and the bent part inside the upper cover of the return air cover), so that the return air efficiency is influenced. In the present embodiment, the second plate 1312 is inclined inward, and the first front return air opening 132 is located in a position extending toward the cooling compartment 110. As the airflow passes over the first deck 1311, the airflow is directed downwardly as the first deck 1311 is inclined downwardly. When the airflow flows through the included angle formed between the first plate surface 1311 and the second plate surface 1312 to the cooling chamber 110, the airflow can uniformly enter the cooling chamber 110 along with the eddy current existing in the included angle, so that the problem of uneven distribution and aggregation of the air volume is solved, the air return efficiency is improved, and the air return is smoother. The grill holes 1317 are vertical bars that are distributed laterally in sequence to disperse the return air so that it enters the upper section of the evaporator 340 more evenly. The first front return air opening 132 is substantially flush with the top surface of the evaporator 340 in the vertical direction, so that the air flow entering the cooling compartment 110 from the first front return air opening 132 can uniformly exchange heat with the evaporator 340.

A third plate surface 1313 obliquely extending downward from the rear end of the second plate surface 1312 from rear to front so as to project forward. The angle of the third plate surface 1313 with respect to the horizontal plane is set in the range of 21 to 25 degrees, and may be set to 22 degrees, 23 degrees, or 24 degrees, for example, and is preferably 23 degrees. The third plate 1313 is used to guide the surface condensate to the drain pan at the bottom of the cooling chamber 110, and the third plate 1313 is shaped to make the wind return cover 131 more attractive. The front end of the third plate surface 1313 is located further rearward than the front end of the first plate surface 1311. When a portion of the return air stream fails to enter the first front return air opening 132, the third panel 1313 slopes downward directing the portion of the stream downward into the second front return air opening 133, making the return air more complete and uniform.

And a fourth plate face 1314 extending from the front end of the third plate face 1313 obliquely downward from the front to the rear so as to be recessed in the direction of the cooling chamber 110. The angle between the fourth plate surface 1314 and the third plate surface 1313 is set to 75 degrees to 79 degrees, and may be set to 76 degrees, 77 degrees, 78 degrees, and preferably 77 degrees. Fourth face 1314 inclines backward, can carry out the water conservancy diversion to the comdenstion water that forms on return air cover 131, and the drainage of being convenient for can avoid producing the water droplet sound that the people's ear can perceive, promotes the user and uses experience. And when the airflow passes through the fourth plate 1314, the fourth plate 1314 may slowly guide the airflow into the second front return air opening 133, so that the airflow distribution in the second front return air opening 133 is more uniform.

The fifth plate 1315 continues to extend obliquely downward rearward from the rear end of the fourth plate 1314. The angle of inclination of the fifth plate 1315 is less than the angle of inclination of the fourth plate 1314. The angle between the fifth plate surface 1315 and the horizontal plane may be set to 9 degrees to 11 degrees, for example, 10 degrees, 10.5 degrees, and preferably 10 degrees.

The second front air return opening 133 is formed between the fifth plate 1315 and the frame 134, and a projection of the second front air return opening 133 in the vertical direction is substantially flush with the middle of the evaporator 340, so that the air flow entering the cooling chamber 110 from the second front air return opening 133 can exchange heat with the evaporator 340 uniformly. The wind guide surface 1316 parallel to the fifth board surface 1315 is formed at a position of the frame 134 facing the fifth board surface 1315, and the fifth board surface 1315 and the wind guide surface 1316 together form an air duct for guiding the return air from the second front return air inlet 133 to be blown obliquely downward, thereby guiding the blowing direction of the return air.

The arrangement of the inclination angle is structurally optimized according to the space performance requirement and the air return performance requirement, and the effect verification of a trial-manufactured product is obtained.

The frame 134 and the panel 1310 are integrated, and the air return cover 131 is an integrated air return cover, so that the structure is simplified, and the manufacturing cost is greatly reduced under the condition of ensuring the appearance. The front panel 1310 of the return air cover 131 is substantially on the same vertical plane, and a frame 134 is disposed around the front panel. The first plate surface 1311 of the upper portion of the panel 1310 is inclined downward to hide the grill holes 1317 forming the first front air return opening 132 into the cooling chamber 110, so that the appearance is beautiful, and dust deposition or foreign matter at the grill holes 1317 is prevented from entering the grill holes 1317, thereby preventing the refrigeration performance from being affected.

The thickness of the heat insulation layer of the heat insulation vertical beam 141 along the front-back direction accounts for less than 8.4% of the depth dimension of the box body 100 along the front-back direction; and the horizontal distance from the front end of the evaporator 340 to the heat-insulating vertical beam 141 accounts for less than 7.7% of the depth dimension of the cabinet 100 in the front-rear direction. The thickness of the insulating layer of the insulating vertical beam 141 and the position of the insulating vertical beam relative to the evaporator 340 are optimized according to the space requirement and the heat insulating performance requirement, and the effect of the trial-manufactured product is verified.

In addition, in order to enable the depth of the whole refrigerator to meet the requirement, the rear end of the door body can be set to be less than or equal to 62 mm. Fig. 11 is a schematic structural view of the refrigerator 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention after the door 200 is closed. After the door 200 is closed and the storage space 120 is closed, the depth dimension (the overall thickness in the front-back direction) of the refrigerator 10 as a whole can be smaller than or equal to 572mm, so that the dimensional requirement of matching with the cabinet is met.

The dimensions of the various components of the enclosure 100 will now be described with reference to the dimensions indicated in figures 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11.

To describe a specific embodiment of a refrigerator having a depth dimension of 510mm in the refrigerator body 100, the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment can be made to have a volume equal to that of a conventional 550mm refrigerator body, which is sufficient to achieve space efficiency.

The depth L12 of the entire cabinet 100 is 510mm, and the thickness L11 of the door 200 is set to 62 mm. So that the overall thickness of the refrigerator is only 572 mm. The bottom refrigeration module comprises an evaporator upper cover 130, an evaporator 340, a centrifugal fan 410, a press cabin 150 and equipment in the press cabin 150. The height H1 of the bottom mounted refrigeration module as a whole relative to the bottom surface is 316.1mm, and the height H4 of the bottom surface of the cabinet 100 relative to the bottom surface is 24.5mm, so that the height of the bottom mounted refrigeration module as a whole is only 291.6 mm.

The evaporator 340 of the refrigerator 10 has a depth dimension L9 of 152mm, a longitudinal dimension L10 of 75mm, a left-right lateral dimension (not labeled) of 470mm, and a longitudinal height H7 of 75 mm. The inclination angle a of the evaporator 340 with respect to the horizontal plane may be 7.5 degrees. The inclination angle of the bottom wall portion of the bottom liner 101 supporting the evaporator 340 with respect to the horizontal plane is also set to 7.5 degrees accordingly.

The evaporator 340 is inclined so that the length L3 of the projection in the horizontal direction along the front-rear direction is 162mm, although the length in the front-rear direction is increased, the inclination makes the arrangement of other components in the cooling chamber 110 more reasonable, and the actual airflow field analysis proves that the wind circulation efficiency is higher and the drainage is more smooth. Meanwhile, the evaporator 340 is obliquely arranged, so that the evaporator 340 can be prevented from being too close to the heat insulation vertical beam 141, and frost is prevented from blocking a return air inlet.

The centrifugal fan 410 is also inclined, and the inclination angle beta of the centrifugal fan 410 relative to the horizontal plane can be 36.7 degrees, and the inclination angle of the bottom wall part of the bottom liner 101 for supporting the centrifugal fan 410 relative to the horizontal plane is also correspondingly set to 36.7 degrees.

The return hood 131 includes a frame 134 and a panel 1310. The front of the return hood 131 has two return air inlets: a first front return air opening 132 and a second front return air opening 133. The panel is divided into five parts.

From top to bottom, the relative relationship of the panel parts is set as follows: the first plate surface 1311 is inclined downward from back to front at an angle γ of 26 °; the second plate surface 1312 inclines downwards from front to back, an included angle delta between the second plate surface 1312 and the first plate surface 1311 is 60 degrees, a first front air return opening 132 is formed in the second plate surface 1312, the first front air return opening 132 inclines towards the inside of the cooling chamber, grid holes for air return are hidden, the appearance is more attractive, dust or foreign matters at the grid are prevented from entering the grid, and the refrigeration performance is prevented from being influenced; the third plate surface 1313 is inclined downward from the rear end of the second plate surface 1312 to the front from the rear, and the inclination angle e is 23 °; the fourth plate surface 1314 extends obliquely from front to back and downwards, and the included angle theta between the fourth plate surface 1314 and the third plate surface 1313 is 77 degrees; the fifth plate 1315 extends further downward from the rear end of the fourth plate 1314 at an angle ω of 10 °; the second front return air opening 133 is formed between the fifth plate 1315 and the frame 134.

From front to back, the dimensions and relative relationships of the components within the cooling compartment 110 and the storage space 120 are set as follows: the horizontal distance L8 between the front end of the return hood 131 and the front end of the box 100 is 24 mm. The thickness L1 of the insulating layer of the insulating vertical beam 141 in the front-rear direction was set to 42 mm. The horizontal distance L4 from the front end of the centrifugal fan 410 to the evaporator 340 is 22mm, so as to save the depth distance between the evaporator 340 and the fan 410 to the maximum extent under the condition of ensuring that the blades of the centrifugal fan 410 do not frost. The thickness L6 of the vertical section of the air supply duct 420 extending upward in the front-rear direction is 25 mm. So that the length L5 of the horizontal projection of the wind module in the front-rear direction is ensured to be 200 mm. The thickness L7 of the foaming layer on the back of the storage space 120 is 56 mm. The thickness L13 of the foaming layer on both sides of the storage space 120 is 65 mm.

Accordingly, it can be concluded that L8 is 4.7% of L12, L6 is 4.9% of L12, L1 is 8.2% of L12, L2 is 7.5% of L12, L3 is 29.8% of L12, L4 is 4.3% of L12, L5 is 39.2% of L12, and L7 is 11% of L12. The above-mentioned size, relative position, proportional relation are all accomplished on the basis of strict demonstration and accurate calculation, under the very harsh condition of dimensional requirement, have satisfied the requirement of each performance index. The above dimensions and relative positions cooperate to achieve the corresponding functions. Any of the above-described dimensional and relative positional variations may result in an inability to meet or even function at one aspect of the refrigerator 10.

From top to bottom, the heights and relative relationships of the components in the cooling chamber 110 and the storage space 120 are set as follows: the height H1 of the bottom mounted refrigeration module as a whole relative to the ground is 316.1 mm. The height H10 of the second upper cover part 1302 of the evaporator upper cover 130 is 93 mm. The height H2 of the first upper lid 1301 relative to the bottom surface of the case 100 was 223.5 mm. The height H2 of the first upper cover 1301 relative to the ground is 233.5 mm. The distance H8 between the first upper cover 1301 and the top of the front end of the evaporator 340 is 36 mm. The height H3 of the first upper lid 1301 relative to the bottom surface of the case 100 was 199 mm. The evaporator 340 is spaced 15mm from the evaporator top cover 130 by a minimum distance H9. The position where the evaporator 340 abuts against the first inclined portion 1011 is 22mm from the height H6 of the drain opening 103. The height H5 of drain port 103 relative to the bottom surface of box 100 is 66 mm. The sizes and the relative positions are all completed on the basis of strict demonstration and precise calculation, and the requirements of various performance indexes are met under the condition that the size requirement is extremely strict. The above dimensions and relative positions cooperate to achieve the corresponding functions. Any of the above-described dimensional and relative positional variations may result in an inability to meet or even function at one aspect of the refrigerator 10.

Thus, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while a number of exemplary embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the invention may be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be understood and interpreted to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A refrigerator with an improved front-end air return structure of a cooling chamber comprises a box body, wherein the box body comprises:

a bottom inner container;

the evaporator upper cover is transversely arranged in the bottom inner container to divide the bottom inner container into a cooling chamber for arranging the evaporator of the refrigerator and a storage space for placing articles;

a return air cover extending downward from the front end of the evaporator upper cover as a front wall of the cooling chamber, the return air cover including a frame and a panel located in the frame, wherein

The upper portion of the panel is provided with a first front air return inlet, a second front air return inlet is formed between the bottom of the panel and the frame, and the storage space is communicated with the cooling chamber through the first front air return inlet and the second front air return inlet, so that return air of the storage space returns to the cooling chamber through the first front air return inlet and the second front air return inlet.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the panel comprises:

a first plate surface extending obliquely downward from the rear to the front from the front end of the evaporator upper cover;

and the second plate surface is obliquely extended from the front end of the first plate surface to the back, so that the second plate surface is recessed towards the cooling chamber, and the first front air return opening is formed in the second plate surface.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein

The included angle range of the first plate surface and the horizontal plane is set to be 25-30 degrees; the included angle range of the second plate surface and the first plate surface is set to be 55 degrees to 65 degrees.

4. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the panel further comprises:

a third plate surface extending obliquely downward from a rear end of the second plate surface from rear to front so as to project forward;

a fourth plate surface extending from a front end of the third plate surface obliquely downward from front to rear so as to be recessed in a direction of the cooling chamber;

and the fifth plate surface continuously extends downwards from the rear end of the fourth plate surface backwards in a downward inclined mode, the inclined angle of the fifth plate surface is smaller than that of the fourth plate surface, and the second front air return opening is formed between the fifth plate surface and the frame.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein

The included angle range of the third plate surface and the horizontal plane is set to be 21 degrees to 25 degrees, and the included angle range of the fourth plate surface and the third plate surface is set to be 75 degrees to 79 degrees.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein

The front end of the third board surface is more rearward than the front end of the first board surface.

7. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein

And an air guide surface parallel to the fifth board surface is formed at the position of the frame opposite to the fifth board surface, and the fifth board surface and the air guide surface jointly form an air channel for guiding the return air of the second front return air inlet into inclined downward blowing.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein

And the included angle range of the fifth plate surface and the horizontal plane is set to be 9-11 degrees.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein

The frame and the panel are an integral piece.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein

The evaporator is integrally flat and rectangular and is arranged at the front part of the cooling chamber in an inclined manner from the front to the back, the range of the inclination angle of the evaporator is 7-8 degrees, and

the first front return air inlet is substantially flush with the top surface of the evaporator in the vertical direction; and the projection of the second front air return inlet in the vertical direction is basically flush with the middle part of the evaporator.