U.S. patent application number 11/795735 was filed with the patent office on 2008-12-25 for refrigerator.
This patent application is currently assigned to HAIER GROUP CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Guihong Sun, Binhou Wang, Dongning Wang, Zhichun Zhang.
Application Number | 20080314066 11/795735 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36691970 |
Filed Date | 2008-12-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080314066 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Zhang; Zhichun ; et
al. |
December 25, 2008 |
Refrigerator
Abstract
The present invention discloses a refrigerator including a
refrigeration chamber which comprises an upper wall, a lower wall,
two side walls and a rear wall connected to the upper wall, the
lower wall and two side walls to form a receiving container
surroundingly. The refrigeration chamber is provided therein with a
baffle which has a distance of 0 to 10 mm from the rear wall of the
refrigeration chamber. As the refrigerating chamber is provided
with the baffle, vegetable and fruit etc. can be prevented from
frostbiting due to directly contacting with the rear wall of the
refrigeration chamber, and the temperature in the refrigeration
chamber can be kept even.
Inventors: |
Zhang; Zhichun; (Shandong
Province, CN) ; Wang; Dongning; (Shandong Province,
CN) ; Wang; Binhou; (Shandong Province, CN) ;
Sun; Guihong; (Shandong Province, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MERCHANT & GOULD PC
P.O. BOX 2903
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402-0903
US
|
Assignee: |
HAIER GROUP CORPORATION
QINGDAO
CN
QINGDAO HAIER JOINT STOCK CO., LTD.
QINGDAO
CN
|
Family ID: |
36691970 |
Appl. No.: |
11/795735 |
Filed: |
July 18, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
July 18, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/CN2005/001064 |
371 Date: |
July 20, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/407 ;
62/440 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 21/04 20130101;
F25D 2500/02 20130101; F25D 23/066 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/407 ;
62/440 |
International
Class: |
F25D 17/06 20060101
F25D017/06; F25D 23/00 20060101 F25D023/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 21, 2005 |
CN |
200510002434.6 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator including a refrigerating chamber which comprises
a top wall, a bottom wall, two side walls and a rear wall, said
rear wall connecting with the top wall, the bottom wall and the
side walls to define a storage chamber, wherein the refrigerating
chamber is further provided with a baffle spaced from the rear wall
by a distance of 0 to 10 mm.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the distance is 4
to 6 mm.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein each of the two
side walls of the refrigerating chamber is provided with a groove,
the baffle being fitted in the grooves, and sealing strips being
provided at those locations where the baffle engages with the
grooves.
4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the baffle is
mounted on a bracket secured to the interior of the refrigerating
chamber.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein screw-posts are
provided on the side walls of the refrigerating chamber, the baffle
is secured to the interior of the refrigerating chamber by screws
fastened to the screw-posts.
6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the baffle is
provided with openings for diffusing cool air into the
refrigerating chamber.
7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein a blower spaced
from the rear wall of the refrigerating chamber is provided in the
refrigerating chamber for improving the uniformity of temperature
distribution within the refrigerating chamber.
8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein a recess for
accommodating at least a part of the blower is correspondingly
provided in the baffle at a location where the blower is arranged.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and
particularly to a refrigerator comprising a refrigerating chamber
that is capable of effectively preserve fruits and vegetables.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] As the rear wall of the refrigerating chamber of the
refrigerator is attached with an evaporator, the rear wall may have
a temperature as low as 10 Celsius degrees below zero. Moreover,
since the evaporator is directly attached to the rear wall, cooling
progresses from the rear wall of the refrigerating chamber;
meanwhile, warmer air will inevitably enter into the refrigerating
chamber when opening and then closing the door of the refrigerator.
Therefore, the temperature at the place near the door is usually
relatively high, and there is a relatively large temperature
gradient in the refrigerating chamber. Thus, vegetables or fruits
are usually pushed towards the rear wall of the refrigerating
chamber so as to be kept near the rear wall. However, these
vegetables or fruits will suffer from frostbite or even be frozen
together with the rear wall, if they get too close to or directly
contact the rear wall of the refrigerating chamber, which is
disadvantageous to preserve nutrition within the kept vegetables or
fruits, and tends to blemish the interior of the refrigerating
chamber of the refrigerator. Besides, if too much food is put
inside, the temperature gradient in the refrigerating chamber will
be further developed, which is again disadvantageous for a good
preserve of these vegetables or fruits.
[0003] To solve the above problems, a protective grating with a
certain height is arranged in front of the rear wall of the
refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator, so as to space
vegetables or fruits from the rear wall by a certain distance.
However, since this protective grating takes the form of fencing,
it may only prevent fruits from contact the rear wall of the
refrigerating chamber. With respect to vegetables with leaves,
since leaves or stems thereof may easily go through the openings of
the grating and directly contact the rear wall of the refrigerating
chamber, thus they will suffer from frostbite or even getting stuck
on the rear wall, and the effect of the protective grating is not
as good as desired. Besides, the provision of the protective
grating within the refrigerating chamber is not helpful to reduce
the temperature gradient in the refrigerating chamber, and the
temperature at the place near the door of the refrigerator remains
higher than that around the rear wall. To be specific, when the
evaporator attached to the rear wall of the refrigerating chamber
is operating, the cool caused by the evaporator will spread to the
storage chamber freely and quickly. In this case, the temperature
of the region near the rear wall of the refrigerating chamber will
drop quickly, while the temperature of the region of the
refrigerating chamber away from the rear wall (for example, the
region near the door of the refrigerator) will drop slowly due to
convection. Therefore, a relatively great temperature gradient will
occur in the refrigerating chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a
refrigerator with a refrigerating chamber in which fruits and
vegetables may be effectively preserved.
[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
refrigerator with a refrigerating chamber with a relatively uniform
temperature distribution.
[0006] For achieving such objects, the refrigerator according to
the present invention includes a refrigerating chamber comprising a
top wall, a bottom wall, two side walls and a rear wall, said rear
wall connecting with the top wall, the bottom wall and the side
walls to define a storage chamber, wherein the refrigerating
chamber is further provided with a baffle spaced from the rear wall
by a distance of 0 to 10 mm.
[0007] Preferably, the distance is 4 to 6 mm.
[0008] Preferably, each of the two side walls of the refrigerating
chamber is provided with a groove, the baffle being fitted in the
grooves, and sealing strips being provided at those locations where
the baffle engages with the grooves.
[0009] Preferably, the baffle is mounted on a bracket secured to
the interior of the refrigerating chamber.
[0010] Preferably, screw-posts are provided on the side walls of
the refrigerating chamber, the baffle is secured to the interior of
the refrigerating chamber by screws fastened to the
screw-posts.
[0011] Preferably, the baffle is provided with openings for
diffusing cool air into the refrigerating chamber.
[0012] Preferably, a blower spaced from the rear wall of the
refrigerating chamber is provided in the refrigerating chamber for
improving the uniformity of temperature distribution within the
refrigerating chamber.
[0013] Preferably, a recess for accommodating at least a part of
the blower is correspondingly provided in the baffle at a location
where the blower is arranged.
[0014] The present invention is advantageous over the prior art in
that: the refrigerating chamber of the present invention is further
provided with a baffle spaced from the rear wall by a certain
distance, such that vegetables or fruits are prevented from
frostbite or even being stuck on the rear wall due to directly
contacting the rear wall. Furthermore, the baffle may function as a
buffer between the rear wall of the refrigerating chamber and the
storage chamber. When the evaporator attached to the rear wall of
the refrigerating chamber is operating and thus the temperature of
the rear wall and the air near the rear wall drop quickly, the cool
caused by the evaporator will spread from the rear wall to the
storage chamber through the baffle slowly and evenly, rather than
freely and directly. In this situation, the temperature of the
whole storage chamber will drop slowly and evenly, and it is
possible to get a uniform temperature distribution in the storage
chamber. This avoids the large temperature gradient in the
refrigerating chamber, which is usually occurred in a conventional
refrigerator. Besides, since the distance between the baffle and
the rear wall is relatively small, the capacity of the
refrigerating chamber will not be affected.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerating
chamber according to a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerating
chamber according to a second embodiment of the present
invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerating
chamber according to a third embodiment of the present
invention.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerating
chamber according to a fourth embodiment of the present
invention.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a front view showing a refrigerating chamber
provided with a blower of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of FIG. 5.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerating
chamber according to a fifth embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerating chamber 1 of the
refrigerator according to the present invention is essentially
rectangular, and comprises a top wall 11, a bottom wall 12, two
side walls (not shown) and a rear wall 15 connecting to the top
wall 11, the bottom wall 12 and two side walls to form a storage
chamber 19 with an opening (not labeled), The storage chamber 19 is
provided with shelves 16 and a crisper 17 for keeping vegetables
and fruits. An evaporator (not shown) for refrigeration, which is
placed close to the rear wall, is arranged between a rear wall (not
shown) of the refrigerator and the rear wall 15 of the
refrigerating chamber. The rear wall 15 at its lower end is
provided with a water outlet 151 of the refrigeration chamber.
[0023] The storage chamber 19 of the refrigerating chamber 1 is
provided with a baffle 18, which is close to the rear wall 15 and
is spaced from the rear wall 15 by a certain distance. The height
of the baffle 18 is equal to or less than that of the rear wall 15.
Due to the distance between the baffle 18 and the rear wall 15,
items such as vegetables or fruits kept in the storage chamber 19
will not directly contact the rear wall 15, therefore will not
suffer from frostbiting or get stuck on the rear wall 15 for
freezing. The distance between the baffle and the rear wall may
range from 0 to 10 mm. Since the space occupied by the baffle and
cooling air passageway is relatively small, the effective capacity
of the storage chamber 19 will not be substantially reduced.
Preferably, the distance between the baffle and the rear wall
ranges from 4 to 6 mm.
[0024] Grooves (not shown) are respectively provided in the side
walls of the refrigerating chamber 1, one groove for each side
wall, such that two sides of the baffle 18 may be correspondingly
secured in the grooves. After the baffle 18 is secured in the
grooves, sealing strips (not shown) are provided at those locations
where the baffle engages with the grooves to achieve a good sealing
therebetween.
[0025] Of course, the baffle 18 may be secured in the refrigerating
chamber 1 in another manner. That is to say, screw-posts (not
shown) are provided on the side walls of the refrigerating chamber
1, such that the baffle 18 may be fastened to the screw-post by
screws, therefore secured to the refrigerating chamber.
[0026] The baffle 18 may be made from a conventional PS plate or
other plastic plates. At the same time, the baffle 18 is protected
from deformation. The temperature within the refrigerating chamber
1 is adjustable, and is usually controlled within the range of 0 to
10 Celsius degree. The temperature distribution in the
refrigerating chamber 1 may become more uniform because of the
presence of the baffle, therefore the temperature near the door is
less likely to get substantially higher than the temperature near
the rear wall 15.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 2, in the second embodiment of the present
invention, the baffle 18 may be provided with openings 183 which
allowing the cool air near the rear wall 15 to flow into the
refrigerating chamber 1 through the baffle 18, thus ensuring a
uniform temperature distribution in the refrigerating chamber 1. Of
course, a baffle 18 with a grating configuration may similarly
achieve the same effect.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 3, in the third embodiment of the present
invention, the baffle 18 may be provided with a heat insulating
layer 182 on its back side. Preferably, the height of the heat
insulating layer 182 is less than that of the rear wall 15.
Therefore, the cooling air near the rear wall 15 is further
insulated to ensure a satisfactory refrigeration effect. Thus, the
temperature of the baffle 18 will not get too low or too high. Even
if the refrigeration function of the evaporator is very powerful
and the temperature of the rear wall 15 is very low, the
temperature in the refrigerating chamber 1 will not vary
dramatically or drop quickly.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 4, in the fourth embodiment of the present
invention, a blower 188 may be further arranged between the rear
wall 15 of the refrigerating chamber 1 and the rear wall of the
refrigerator. The blower 188 is installed beyond the plane of the
baffle 18. By appropriate sealing, the blower 188 is connected with
the space behind the baffle 18. The blower 188 is spaced from the
rear wall 15. When operating, the blower 188 enhances a diffusion
of cool air from the rear wall 15 into the storage chamber 19 of
the refrigerating chamber 1 through the baffle 18, thus realizing a
uniform temperature distribution in the refrigerating chamber 1.
The blower 188 is supported by a supporting frame, and is fastened
to one of the walls of the refrigerating chamber 1 by fastening
members such as screws.
[0030] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, in the refrigerating chamber 1
provided with a blower 188, the top edge of the baffle 18 may be
not lower than the attachment point of the blower 188. A recess 189
to accommodate blades of the blower 188 is correspondingly provided
in the baffle 18 at a location where the blower 188 is arranged.
Since the blower 188 is arranged at the upper portion of the baffle
18, it will not excessively affect the capacity of the storage
space 19.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 7, in the fifth embodiment of the present
invention, the baffle 18 may be secured within the storage chamber
19 via a bracket 181.
[0032] It may be easily understood that these technical solutions
for a uniform temperature distribution within the refrigerating
chamber and a good preserving of vegetables and fruits may be
separately applied to different refrigerating chambers 1 or
simultaneously applied to a single refrigerating chamber 1 of a
refrigerator.
[0033] The above description is merely illustrative of preferred
embodiments of the present invention, and it should be pointed out
that variations and modifications can be envisaged by those skilled
in the art within the spirit of the present invention, and these
variations and modifications should come within the scope claimed
by the claims of the present invention.
* * * * *