CN112050516B

CN112050516B - Refrigerator with a door

Info

Publication number: CN112050516B
Application number: CN201910491586.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 米波; 张延庆; 阳军; 左立华
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: 2019-06-06
Filing date: 2019-06-06
Publication date: 2022-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 2039-06-06
Also published as: CN112050516A

Abstract

The invention discloses a refrigerator, which comprises an ice maker and an ice channel communicated with an outlet of the ice maker, and further comprises a vacuum heat insulation device, wherein the vacuum heat insulation device can be switched between two states, and in a first state, the vacuum heat insulation device blocks the ice channel; in a second state, the vacuum insulation device gives way to the ice channel. In the first state, because the vacuum heat insulation device blocks the ice channel, the vacuum heat insulation device blocks the heat exchange between the low-temperature space inside the ice maker and the external environment, and the heat insulation effect between the low-temperature space inside the ice maker and the external environment is enhanced, so that the energy consumption of the refrigerator is reduced.

Description

Refrigerator with a door

Technical Field

The invention relates to a refrigerator, and belongs to the technical field of household appliances.

Background

With the continuous improvement of the living standard of people, the functional requirements on household appliances such as refrigerators are higher and higher. Some high-end refrigerators need to have an ice making function. Therefore, the refrigerator is provided with an ice maker, and ice cubes made by the ice maker flow out through an ice passage for use by a user.

Among the prior art, ice passageway and external world are through the rubber lid that a inside stopper has the sponge to realize making the isolation of ice storage space and external world, and this kind of mode is because the thermal insulation nature is relatively poor between inside low temperature space and the outside normal atmospheric temperature environment, often can make inside low temperature space and outside normal atmospheric temperature environment take place heat exchange easily to increase the energy consumption of refrigerator.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a refrigerator, which can reduce the energy consumption of the refrigerator.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising an ice maker, an ice passage communicating with an outlet of the ice maker, and a vacuum heat insulation device switchable between two states, wherein in a first state, the vacuum heat insulation device blocks the ice passage; in a second state, the vacuum insulation device gives way to the ice channel.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum insulation means is provided at an inlet of the ice passage.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum insulation means is provided at an outlet of the ice passage.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum insulation apparatus includes a first member and a second member which are slidably fitted, and the first member slides relative to the second member to switch the vacuum insulation apparatus between the first state in which the first member blocks the ice passage and the second state in which the first member lets the ice passage open.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, in the first state, an upper surface of the first member closes an outlet of the ice maker, a lower surface of the first member closes an inlet of the ice passage, and a vacuum space is provided between the upper surface and the lower surface.

As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, a cavity is formed in an inner wall of the first member, one end of the cavity is open and has an opening, the second member is attached to the inner wall of the first member and closes the opening to form a closed space, the first member is far away from the second member, the closed space is enlarged until the closed space blocks the ice channel, the first member is close to the second member, and the closed space is reduced until the closed space gives way to the ice channel.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator further includes a driving device connected to the first member to drive the first member to move relative to the second member.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the driving device is a lead screw.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the driving means includes a first driving means and a second driving means which are provided at intervals, and the first driving means and the second driving means are provided symmetrically with respect to a center plane in an extending direction of the ice passage.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the first driving device and the second driving device are connected to both side surfaces of the first member, respectively.

Compared with the prior art, the invention has the beneficial effects that: in the first state, because the vacuum heat insulation device blocks the ice channel, the vacuum heat insulation device blocks the heat exchange between the low-temperature space inside the ice maker and the external environment, and the heat insulation effect between the low-temperature space inside the ice maker and the external environment is enhanced, so that the energy consumption of the refrigerator is reduced. And in the second state, the vacuum heat insulation device leaves the ice channel, and the ice blocks can normally pass through the ice channel for users to take. Therefore, the refrigerator of the embodiment is quite reasonable in design, energy consumption is reduced, and the refrigerator is convenient to use.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front view of a door body of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the door of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 taken along the direction A-A, with the vacuum insulation apparatus in a first state blocking the ice passage;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the door of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 taken along the direction A-A, with the vacuum insulation apparatus in a second state to clear the ice channel;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the vacuum insulation and ice passage of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the vacuum insulation and ice passage of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 3;

fig. 6 is a perspective view of the vacuum insulation apparatus and the ice passage of the refrigerator shown in fig. 3.

The refrigerator comprises a refrigerator 100, a door 110, an ice maker 120, an ice channel 130, an ice channel 132, an ice channel inlet 140, a vacuum heat insulation device 141, a first part 142, a second part 143, an upper surface 144, a lower surface 145, an inner wall 146, a cavity 147, a closed space 148, a side 150, a driving device 151, a first driving device 152 and a second driving device 152.

Some embodiments of the invention will be described in detail hereinafter, by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or similar parts or portions are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, such that certain dimensions of structures or parts may be exaggerated relative to other structures or parts as appropriate for ease of illustration, and thus the drawings are intended to illustrate only the basic structure of the subject matter of the present application.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments shown in the drawings. These embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention, and structural, methodological, or functional changes made by those skilled in the art according to these embodiments are included in the scope of the present invention.

It should be understood that, in the description of the present invention, the terms "upper", "lower" and "vertical" are referred to a state in which the refrigerator is normally used. These terms indicating orientation or positional relationship, including but not limited to "upper", "lower", "vertical", are for convenience of description only and do not indicate or imply that the referenced device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

Furthermore, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly stated or limited, the terms "connected" and "connected" are to be construed broadly, e.g., as meaning either a fixed connection or a removable connection, or an integral part; either directly or indirectly through intervening media, either internally or in any other relationship. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly stated or limited, "above" or "below" a first feature means that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact with each other via another feature therebetween.

Referring to fig. 1 to 3, a refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an ice maker 120 and an ice passage 130 communicating with an outlet of the ice maker 120.

The ice cubes made by the ice maker 120 enter the ice passage 130 from the outlet of the ice maker 120, and finally flow out from the outlet of the ice passage 130 for the user to use, thereby satisfying the customer's needs.

In the present embodiment, ice maker 120 is preferably disposed on door 110 of refrigerator 100, and an ice outlet communicating with an outlet of ice duct 130 is disposed outside door 110. The user can obtain the ice-cube through the ice outlet outside the door body 110, and the use is very convenient.

Preferably, the refrigerator 100 further includes a vacuum heat insulation apparatus 140, and the vacuum heat insulation apparatus 140 is switchable between two states, in the first state, the vacuum heat insulation apparatus 140 blocks the ice passage 130; in the second state, the vacuum insulation apparatus 140 leaves the ice passage 130 open.

In the first state, since the vacuum heat insulation apparatus 140 blocks the ice passage 130, the vacuum heat insulation apparatus 140 blocks heat exchange between the low temperature space inside the ice maker 120 and the external environment, enhancing a heat insulation effect between the low temperature space inside the ice maker 120 and the external environment, thereby reducing power consumption of the refrigerator 100. In the second state, the vacuum insulation device 140 leaves the ice channel 130 open, and the ice cubes can normally pass through the ice channel 130 for the user to take.

Therefore, the refrigerator 100 of the present embodiment is reasonably designed, and not only reduces energy consumption, but also is convenient to use.

Preferably, the vacuum insulation apparatus 140 is provided at the inlet 132 of the ice passage 130.

The inlet 132 of the ice passage 130 is communicated with the outlet of the ice maker 120, and the vacuum heat insulation device 140 is disposed at the inlet 132 of the ice passage 130, that is, the vacuum heat insulation device 140 is disposed between the outlet of the ice maker 120 and the inlet 132 of the ice passage 130, and when the vacuum heat insulation device 140 is in the first state, the vacuum heat insulation device 140 blocks heat exchange between a low-temperature space inside the ice maker 120 and an external environment, thereby increasing heat insulation effect and reducing energy consumption.

Preferably, the vacuum insulation apparatus 140 includes a first member 141 and a second member 142 which are slidably coupled, and the first member 141 slides relative to the second member 142 to move the vacuum insulation apparatus 140 between a first state in which the first member 141 blocks the ice passage 130 and a second state in which the second member 142 leaves the ice passage 130.

In the first state, the first part 141 blocks the ice passage 130, and the first part 141 blocks heat exchange between the low temperature space inside the ice maker 120 and the external environment, enhancing a heat insulation effect between the low temperature space inside the ice maker 120 and the external environment, thereby reducing power consumption of the refrigerator 100. And in the second state, the first member 141 leaves the ice passage 130 open, and the ice cubes can be normally supplied to the user through the ice passage 130.

Preferably, in the present embodiment, in the first state, the upper surface 143 of the first member 141 closes the outlet of the ice maker 120, the lower surface 144 of the first member 141 closes the inlet 132 of the ice passage 130, and a vacuum space is provided between the upper surface 143 and the lower surface 144.

Thus, in the first state, there is a vacuum space between the outlet of the ice maker 120 and the inlet 132 of the ice passage 130, and the vacuum space blocks heat exchange between the low temperature space inside the ice maker 120 and the external environment, enhancing the heat insulation effect between the low temperature space inside the ice maker 120 and the external environment, thereby reducing power consumption of the refrigerator 100.

In the preferred embodiment, the inner wall 145 of the first member 141 forms a cavity 146, one end of the cavity 146 is open and has an opening, the second member 142 is attached to the inner wall 145 of the first member 141 and closes the opening to form a closed space 147, the first member 141 is far away from the second member 142, the closed space 147 is enlarged until the closed space 147 blocks the ice channel 130, the first member 141 is close to the second member 142, and the closed space 147 is reduced until the closed space 147 leaves the ice channel 130.

The first part 141 is far away from the second part 142, the enclosed space 147 becomes large, the vacuum degree in the enclosed space 147 is increased, the enclosed space 147 becomes a vacuum space, the vacuum space blocks the heat exchange between the low temperature space inside the ice maker 120 and the external environment, the heat insulation effect between the low temperature space inside the ice maker 120 and the external environment is enhanced, and thus the energy consumption of the refrigerator 100 is reduced. The first part 141 is close to the second part 142, and the closed space 147 becomes smaller until the closed space 147 leaves the ice channel 130, and normal ice taking can be realized.

Note that the closed space 147 becomes a vacuum space, and the "vacuum space" described in this embodiment has a certain degree of vacuum, so that the requirement of heat insulation can be satisfied, and an absolute vacuum is not required. The degree of vacuum of the enclosed space 147 is determined by the degree of sealing between the second member 142 and the first member 141, and therefore, in order to increase the degree of vacuum of the enclosed space 147, a person skilled in the art can reasonably design the fit tolerance between the second member 142 and the inner wall 145 of the first member 141; a person skilled in the art may also provide a sealing device such as a rubber sealing ring on the inner wall 145 of the second component 142 and/or the first component 141, and so on, which will not be described again, and all the embodiments that are the same as or similar to the present embodiment are covered in the protection scope of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, the first member 141 has a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, the upper surface 143 and the lower surface 144 of the first member 141 are parallel, and the upper surface 143 and the lower surface 144 of the first member 141 are flat, so that the upper surface 143 of the first member 141 can preferably close the outlet of the ice maker 120, and the lower surface 144 of the first member 141 can preferably close the inlet 132 of the ice chute 130, in the first state. The shape of the second part 142 matches the shape of the inner wall 145 of the first part 141.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the specific shape of the first member 141 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped, and when the first member 141 is designed into other shapes, the shape of the second member 142 is modified accordingly, as long as the shape of the second member 142 matches the shape of the inner wall 145 of the first member 141, and any scheme similar or identical to that of the present embodiment is covered by the protection scope of the present invention.

Preferably, the refrigerator 100 further includes a driving device 150, and the driving device 150 is connected to the first member 141 to drive the first member 141 to move relative to the second member 142.

The driving device 150 is used for driving the first part 141 to move relative to the second part 142, so that the closed space 147 is changed into a vacuum space, and the operation is more labor-saving and convenient.

In the present embodiment, the driving device 150 is preferably a screw.

The screw rod driving structure is simple and the cost is low. Of course, it is understood by those skilled in the art that, in addition to the screw, other driving devices 150, such as a cam driving device, a gear driving device or a cam-gear compound driving device, may be adopted for the driving device 150, and all the embodiments that are the same or similar to the present embodiment are covered by the protection scope of the present invention.

Preferably, the driving unit 150 includes a first driving unit 151 and a second driving unit 152 spaced apart from each other, and the first driving unit 151 and the second driving unit 152 are symmetrically disposed with respect to a center plane in an extending direction of the ice chute 130.

The extending direction of the ice passage 130 refers to a direction from the inlet 132 to the outlet of the ice passage 130, and a center plane in the extending direction of the ice passage 130 is a center plane in the longitudinal direction of the ice passage 130. The first and second driving means 151 and 152 are symmetrically disposed with respect to the center plane in the extending direction of the ice chute 130, and thus the first and second driving means 151 and 152 can simultaneously drive the first member 141 to move with respect to the second member 142 at symmetrical positions, and the movement of the first member 141 with respect to the second member 142 can be more smoothly and accurately performed.

In the present embodiment, the first driving device 151 and the second driving device 152 are preferably connected to the two side surfaces 148 of the first member 141, respectively.

The first driving device 151 and the second driving device 152 are respectively connected to the two side surfaces 148 of the first member 141, so that the space of the side surfaces 148 of the first member 141 can be reasonably utilized without affecting the coupling relationship between the upper surface 143 and the lower surface 144 of the first member 141 and the outlet of the ice maker 120 and the inlet 132 of the ice passage 130.

As described above, the first member 141 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped, the two side surfaces 148 of the first member 141 are parallel to each other, and the first driving device 151 and the second driving device 152 are respectively connected to the two parallel side surfaces 148 of the first member 141, so that the first driving device 151 and the second driving device 152 can drive the first member 141 to move relative to the second member 142 more smoothly, thereby improving user experience.

In the present embodiment, the vacuum insulation apparatus 140 is provided at the inlet 132 of the ice passage 130. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the vacuum insulation device 140 can also be disposed at the outlet of the ice passage 130, and when the vacuum insulation device 140 is in the first state, it can also block the heat exchange between the low-temperature space inside the ice maker 120 and the external environment, thereby enhancing the insulation effect between the low-temperature space inside the ice maker 120 and the external environment, and thus reducing the energy consumption. Any embodiments similar or equivalent to the embodiments are also within the scope of the present invention.

It should be understood that although the present description refers to embodiments, not every embodiment contains only a single technical solution, and such description is for clarity only, and those skilled in the art should make the description as a whole, and the technical solutions in the embodiments can also be combined appropriately to form other embodiments understood by those skilled in the art.

The above-listed detailed description is only a specific description of a possible embodiment of the present invention, and they are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising an ice maker, an ice passage communicating with an outlet of the ice maker, characterized in that: the refrigerator further comprises a vacuum insulation device switchable between two states, in a first state, the vacuum insulation device blocks the ice passage; in a second state, the vacuum insulation device leaves the ice channel; the vacuum heat insulation device comprises a first part and a second part which are matched and connected in a sliding mode, a cavity is formed in the inner wall of the first part, one end of the cavity is opened and provided with an opening, the second part is attached to and sealed with the inner wall of the first part, the opening forms a closed space, the first part is far away from the second part, the closed space is enlarged until the closed space is blocked by the ice channel, the first part is close to the second part, and the closed space is reduced until the closed space gives way to the ice channel.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein: the vacuum insulation device is disposed at an inlet of the ice passage.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein: the vacuum heat insulation device is arranged at the outlet of the ice channel.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein: the first member slides relative to the second member to switch the vacuum insulation device between the first state in which the first member blocks the ice passage and the second state in which the first member lets the ice passage open.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein: in the first state, an upper surface of the first member closes an outlet of the ice maker, a lower surface of the first member closes an inlet of the ice passage, and a vacuum space is provided between the upper surface and the lower surface.

6. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein: the refrigerator also comprises a driving device which is connected with the first component and drives the first component to move relative to the second component.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein: the driving device is a lead screw.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein: the driving device comprises a first driving device and a second driving device which are arranged at intervals, and the first driving device and the second driving device are symmetrically arranged relative to the center plane in the extending direction of the ice channel.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein: the first driving device and the second driving device are respectively connected with two side surfaces of the first component.