U.S. patent application number 16/490593 was filed with the patent office on 2020-01-09 for refrigerator with ice making function.
The applicant listed for this patent is QINGDAO HAIER JOINT STOCK CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to WEISHOU SUN, HAIJUAN WANG, GUANGRUI WU, HENG ZHANG, YANQING ZHANG.
Application Number | 20200011585 16/490593 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 59463185 |
Filed Date | 2020-01-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20200011585 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ZHANG; YANQING ; et
al. |
January 9, 2020 |
REFRIGERATOR WITH ICE MAKING FUNCTION
Abstract
The present invention discloses a refrigerator with an ice
making function, comprising a refrigerating compartment; a door of
the refrigerating compartment; a freezing compartment; and an ice
making compartment provided at the door of the refrigerating
compartment; a compartment for an ice making evaporator; an ice
making blower and the ice making evaporator provided in the
compartment for the ice making evaporator, the ice making
evaporator is communicated with the ice making compartment through
an air intake duct and an air return duct, and a part of one of the
air intake duct and the air return duct is provided in the
refrigerating compartment.
Inventors: |
ZHANG; YANQING; (Qingdao
City, Shandong Province, CN) ; WU; GUANGRUI; (Qingdao
City, Shandong Province, CN) ; ZHANG; HENG; (Qingdao
City, Shandong Province, CN) ; WANG; HAIJUAN;
(Qingdao City, Shandong Province, CN) ; SUN; WEISHOU;
(Qingdao City, Shandong Province, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
QINGDAO HAIER JOINT STOCK CO., LTD. |
Qingdao City, Shandong Province |
|
CN |
|
|
Family ID: |
59463185 |
Appl. No.: |
16/490593 |
Filed: |
February 28, 2018 |
PCT Filed: |
February 28, 2018 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/CN2018/077503 |
371 Date: |
September 2, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 23/04 20130101;
F25D 2317/067 20130101; F25D 2317/062 20130101; F25D 11/022
20130101; F25D 17/065 20130101; F25C 1/00 20130101; F25C 2400/10
20130101; F25D 2317/061 20130101; F25D 17/067 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25D 17/06 20060101
F25D017/06; F25D 11/02 20060101 F25D011/02; F25C 1/00 20060101
F25C001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 1, 2017 |
CN |
201720197501.2 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator with an ice making function, comprising a
refrigerating compartment; a door of the refrigerating compartment
for opening and closing the refrigerating compartment; a freezing
compartment; and an ice making compartment provided at the door of
the refrigerating compartment, wherein the refrigerator further
comprises a compartment for an ice making evaporator; an ice making
blower and the ice making evaporator provided in the compartment
for the ice making evaporator, the ice making evaporator is
communicated with the ice making compartment through an air intake
duct and an air return duct, cold air at the ice making evaporator
is transferred to the ice making compartment through the air intake
duct by means of the ice making blower, heat of the ice making
compartment is returned back to the compartment for the ice making
evaporator through the air return duct, and a part of one of the
air intake duct and the air return duct is provided in the
refrigerating compartment.
2. The refrigerator with an ice making function according to claim
1, wherein the air intake duct comprises a first section of the air
intake duct provided in the refrigerating compartment and a second
section of the air intake duct provided on the door of the
refrigerating compartment, one end of the first section of the air
intake duct is communicated with the ice making evaporator, the
other end of the first section of the air intake duct is provided
with a first air vent, one end of the second section of the air
intake duct is communicated with the ice making compartment, the
other end of the second section of the air intake duct is provided
with a second air vent; when the door of the refrigerating
compartment is open, the first air vent is separated from the
second air vent; when the door of the refrigerating compartment is
closed, the first air vent is butt-jointed with the second air vent
to communicate the first and second sections of the air intake
duct.
3. The refrigerator with an ice making function according to claim
2, wherein the first section of the air intake duct is provided
horizontally substantially.
4. The refrigerator with an ice making function according to claim
1, wherein the air return duct comprises a first section of the air
return duct provided in the refrigerating compartment and a second
section of the air return duct provided on the door of the
refrigerating compartment, one end of the first section of the air
return duct is communicated with the ice making evaporator, the
other end of the first section of the air return duct is provided
with a third air vent, one end of the second section of the air
return duct is communicated with the ice making compartment, the
other end of the second section of the air return duct is provided
with a fourth air vent; when the door of the refrigerating
compartment is open, the third air vent is separated from the
fourth air vent; when the door of the refrigerating compartment is
closed, the third air vent is butt-jointed with the fourth air vent
to communicate the first and second sections of the air return
duct.
5. The refrigerator with an ice making function according to claim
4, wherein the second section of the air return duct comprises a
first portion of the air return duct, which is operatively
separated from or communicated with the first section of the air
return duct; and a second portion of the air return duct, which is
communicated with the ice making compartment and is angularly
provided from the first portion of the air return duct.
6. The refrigerator with an ice making function according to claim
1, wherein one end of the air intake duct is communicated with the
ice making evaporator, the other end of the air intake duct is
provided with a fifth air vent, the ice making compartment is
provided with a sixth air vent; when the door of the refrigerating
compartment is open, the fifth air vent is separated from the sixth
air vent; when the door of the refrigerating compartment is closed,
the fifth air vent is butt-jointed with the sixth air vent to
communicate the air intake duct with the ice making
compartment.
7. The refrigerator with an ice making function according to claim
1, wherein a position where the air intake duct is connected with
the ice making compartment is located above a position where the
air return duct is connected with the ice making compartment.
8. The refrigerator with an ice making function according to claim
1, wherein the compartment for the ice making evaporator is
provided in the refrigerating compartment.
9. The refrigerator with an ice making function according to claim
1, wherein the refrigerator further comprises an ice maker and an
ice storage box provided in the ice making compartment; a passage
and a dispenser are provided on the door of the refrigerating
compartment, wherein the passage is configured to communicate the
ice storage box and the exterior of the door of the refrigerating
compartment, and the dispenser is communicated with the
passage.
10. The refrigerator with an ice making function according to claim
1, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a freezing
evaporator, a freezing blower and an air quantity adjusting device,
wherein the freezing evaporator is configured to supply cold air to
the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, and the
air quantity adjusting device is configured for adjusting an air
quantity blown into the refrigerating compartment and the freezing
compartment by the freezing blower.
11. The refrigerator with an ice making function according to claim
1, wherein the refrigerator further comprises a freezing
evaporator, a freezing blower, a refrigerating evaporator and a
refrigerating blower, wherein the freezing evaporator blows the
cold air to the freezing compartment by means of the freezing
blower, and the refrigerating evaporator blows the cold air to the
refrigerating compartment by means of the refrigerating blower.
Description
[0001] The present application claims priority to Chinese Patent
Application No. 201720197501.2, entitled "refrigerator with ice
making function", filed on Mar. 1, 2017, and Chinese Patent
Application No. 201710197550.0, entitled "refrigerator with ice
making function", filed on Mar. 29, 2017, the disclosures of which
are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of home
appliances, and in particular, to a refrigerator with an ice making
function.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In a related art, an air duct is embedded in a side wall of
a refrigerating compartment. Since the refrigerating compartment is
relatively thin and the relatively long air duct is communicated to
an ice making compartment on a door body from a rear side of a
freezing compartment, a loss of refrigeration capacity in the air
duct is relatively great, thereby greatly influencing an ice making
efficiency. In addition, usually, one evaporator is shared among
the ice making compartment, the refrigerating compartment and the
freezing compartment of the refrigerator, and the refrigeration
capacity flows back and forth among the above-mentioned three
compartments, which causes flavors of food, especially in the
refrigerating compartment, to transfer to the ice making
compartment and to taint ice cubes therein, and affects qualities
and tastes of the ice cubes. Additionally, a plurality of
compartments sharing one evaporator also complicates the structure
of the air duct. Also, the freezing compartment and the ice making
compartment are designed to share one evaporator. Similarly, the
flavors of food in the freezing compartment will also taint ice
cubes in the ice making compartment, thereby affecting the
qualities and tastes thereof.
SUMMARY
[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a
refrigerator with an ice making function, which has a relatively
low loss of refrigeration capacity and a relatively high ice making
efficiency.
[0005] In order to achieve one of the above-mentioned objects of
the present invention, an embodiment of the present invention
provides a refrigerator with an ice making function, including a
refrigerating compartment; a door of the refrigerating compartment
for opening and closing the refrigerating compartment; a freezing
compartment; and an ice making compartment provided at the door of
the refrigerating compartment, wherein the refrigerator further
includes a compartment for an ice making evaporator; an ice making
blower and the ice making evaporator provided in the compartment
for the ice making evaporator, the ice making evaporator is
communicated with the ice making compartment through an air intake
duct and an air return duct, cold air at the ice making evaporator
is transferred to the ice making compartment through the air intake
duct by means of the ice making blower, heat of the ice making
compartment is returned back to the compartment for the ice making
evaporator through the air return duct, and a part of one of the
air intake duct and the air return duct is provided in the
refrigerating compartment.
[0006] As a further improvement of the embodiments of the present
invention, the air intake duct includes a first section of the air
intake duct provided in the refrigerating compartment and a second
section of the air intake duct provided on the door of the
refrigerating compartment, one end of the first section of the air
intake duct is communicated with the ice making evaporator, the
other end of the first section of the air intake duct is provided
with a first air vent, one end of the second section of the air
intake duct is communicated with the ice making compartment, the
other end of the second section of the air intake duct is provided
with a second air vent; when the door of the refrigerating
compartment is open, the first air vent is separated from the
second air vent; when the door of the refrigerating compartment is
closed, the first air vent is butt-jointed with the second air vent
to communicate the first and second sections of the air intake
duct.
[0007] As a further improvement of the embodiments of the present
invention, the first section of the air intake duct is provided
horizontally substantially.
[0008] As a further improvement of the embodiments of the present
invention, the air return duct includes a first section of the air
return duct provided in the refrigerating compartment and a second
section of the air return duct provided on the door of the
refrigerating compartment, one end of the first section of the air
return duct is communicated with the ice making evaporator, the
other end of the first section of the air return duct is provided
with a third air vent, one end of the second section of the air
return duct is communicated with the ice making compartment, the
other end of the second section of the air return duct is provided
with a fourth air vent; when the door of the refrigerating
compartment is open, the third air vent is separated from the
fourth air vent; when the door of the refrigerating compartment is
closed, the third air vent is butt-jointed with the fourth air vent
to communicate the first and second sections of the air return
duct.
[0009] As a further improvement of the embodiments of the present
invention, the second section of the air return duct includes a
first portion of the air return duct, which is operatively
separated from or communicated with the first section of the air
return duct; and a second portion of the air return duct, which is
communicated with the ice making compartment and is angularly
provided from the first portion of the air return duct.
[0010] As a further improvement of the embodiments of the present
invention, one end of the air intake duct is communicated with the
ice making evaporator, the other end of the air intake duct is
provided with a fifth air vent, the ice making compartment is
provided with a sixth air vent; when the door of the refrigerating
compartment is open, the fifth air vent is separated from the sixth
air vent; when the door of the refrigerating compartment is closed,
the fifth air vent is butt-jointed with the sixth air vent to
communicate the air intake duct with the ice making
compartment.
[0011] As a further improvement of the embodiments of the present
invention, a position where the air intake duct is connected with
the ice making compartment is located above a position where the
air return duct is connected with the ice making compartment.
[0012] As a further improvement of the embodiments of the present
invention, the compartment for the ice making evaporator is
provided in the refrigerating compartment.
[0013] As a further improvement of the embodiments of the present
invention, the refrigerator further includes an ice maker and an
ice storage box provided in the ice making compartment; a passage
and a dispenser are provided on the door of the refrigerating
compartment, wherein the passage is configured to communicate the
ice storage box and the exterior of the door of the refrigerating
compartment, and the dispenser is communicated with the
passage.
[0014] As a further improvement of the embodiments of the present
invention, the refrigerator further includes a freezing evaporator,
a freezing blower and an air quantity adjusting device, wherein the
freezing evaporator is configured to supply cold air to the
refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, and the air
quantity adjusting device is configured for adjusting an air
quantity blown into the refrigerating compartment and the freezing
compartment by the freezing blower.
[0015] As a further improvement of the embodiments of the present
invention, the refrigerator further includes a freezing evaporator,
a freezing blower, a refrigerating evaporator and a refrigerating
blower, wherein the freezing evaporator blows the cold air to the
freezing compartment by means of the freezing blower, and the
refrigerating evaporator blows the cold air to the refrigerating
compartment by means of the refrigerating blower.
[0016] Compared with the prior art, the prevent invention has the
beneficial effects as follows. With the technical solution
according to the present invention, the ice making evaporator is
communicated with the ice making compartment through the air intake
duct and the air return duct, and a part of one of the air intake
duct and the air return duct is provided in the refrigerating
compartment, thereby reducing the loss of refrigeration capacity of
the refrigerator and further greatly improving the ice making
efficiency.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a refrigerator
with an ice making function according to a first embodiment of the
present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the refrigerator with an ice
making function according to the first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a refrigerator
with an ice making function according to a second embodiment of the
present invention;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the refrigerator with an ice
making function according to the second embodiment of the present
invention; and
[0021] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a refrigerator
with an ice making function according to a third embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] The present invention is below described in detail in
combination with specific embodiments illustrated in drawings.
However, these embodiments have no limitations on the present
invention, and any transformations of structure, method, or
function made by persons skilled in the art according to these
embodiments fall within the protection scope of the present
invention.
[0023] In the description about the embodiments of the present
invention, the orientation or positional relation indicated by
terms such as "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right,"
"vertical," "horizontal," "bottom," "inner," and "outer" should be
construed to refer to the orientation or positional relation as
shown in the drawings. Usually, these terms are used by taking the
refrigerator in a normal state as a reference, and are not intended
to indicate that the position or element in question must have a
specific orientation.
[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, according to a first preferable
embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a
refrigerator with an ice making function, including a refrigerating
compartment 10; a door 12 of the refrigerating compartment for
opening and closing the refrigerating compartment 10; a freezing
compartment 14; and an ice making compartment 16 provided at the
door 12 of the refrigerating compartment. The refrigerator further
includes a door 18 of the freezing compartment, for opening and
closing the freezing compartment 14.
[0025] The refrigerator further includes a compartment 20 for the
ice making evaporator; an ice making blower 22 and an ice making
evaporator 24 provided in the compartment 20 for the ice making
evaporator. The ice making evaporator 24 is communicated with the
ice making compartment 16 through the air intake duct and the air
return duct, cold air at the ice making evaporator 24 is
transferred to the ice making compartment 16 through the air intake
duct by means of the ice making blower 22, thereby supplying
refrigeration capacity to the ice making compartment 16 for making
ice. Heat of the ice making compartment 16 is returned back to the
compartment 20 for the ice making evaporator through the air return
duct, thereby taking away the heat of the ice making compartment 16
by means of air circulation. In the preferable embodiment, a part
of one of the air intake duct and the air return duct is provided
in the refrigerating compartment 10. Specifically, part of the air
intake duct or the air return duct is provided in the refrigerating
compartment 10. The refrigerating compartment 10 is enclosed by a
left side wall 30, a rear side wall 32, a right side wall 34 and an
upper side wall 36. part of the air intake duct or the air return
duct is provided in the refrigerating compartment 10, instead of in
a side wall of the refrigerating compartment 10, which prevents the
refrigeration capacity entering the ice making compartment 16 from
dissipating through the side wall of the refrigerating compartment
10, thereby greatly reducing the loss of refrigeration capacity of
the refrigerator and further greatly improving the ice making
efficiency.
[0026] In the preferable embodiment, a position where the air
intake duct is connected with the ice making compartment 16 is
located above a position where the air return duct is connected
with the ice making compartment 16.
[0027] In addition, the refrigerator further includes an ice maker
38 and an ice storage box 40 provided in the ice making compartment
16. A passage 42 and a dispenser 44 are provided on the door 12 of
the refrigerating compartment, wherein the passage 42 is configured
to communicate the ice storage box 40 and the exterior of the door
12 of the refrigerating compartment, and the dispenser 44 is
communicated with the passage 42. Ice made by the ice maker 38 may
fall in the ice storage box 40 located below the ice maker 38, then
passes through the passage 42, and finally is dispersed to a user
container by means of the dispenser 44.
[0028] In the present preferable embodiment, the refrigerator
further includes a freezing evaporator 46, a freezing blower 48, a
refrigerating evaporator 50 and a refrigerating blower 52, wherein
the freezing evaporator 46 blows the cold air to the freezing
compartment 14 by means of the freezing blower 48, and the
refrigerating evaporator 50 blows the cold air to the refrigerating
compartment 10 by means of the refrigerating blower 52.
[0029] The air intake duct includes a first section 54 of the air
intake duct provided in the refrigerating compartment 10 and a
second section 56 of the air intake duct provided on the door 12 of
the refrigerating compartment, one end of the first section 54 of
the air intake duct is communicated with the ice making evaporator
24, the other end of the first section 54 of the air intake duct is
provided with a first air vent 60, one end of the second section 56
of the air intake duct is communicated with the ice making
compartment 16, and the other end of the second section 56 of the
air intake duct is provided with a second air vent 62. When the
door 12 of the refrigerating compartment is open, the first air
vent 60 is separated from the second air vent 62, thereby
disconnecting the first section 54 of the air intake duct from the
second section 56 of the air intake duct; when the door 12 of the
refrigerating compartment is closed, the first air vent 60 is
butt-jointed with the second air vent 62 to communicate the first
and second sections 54 and 56 of the air intake duct, thereby
transferring the cold air at the ice making evaporator 24 to the
ice making compartment 16 by means of the ice making blower 22
through the first and second sections 54 and 56 of the air intake
duct for making ice.
[0030] Specifically, the compartment 20 for the ice making
evaporator is provided in the refrigerating compartment 10.
Further, the compartment 20 for the ice making evaporator is
provided adjacent to the bottom 64 and the rear side wall 32 of the
refrigerating compartment 10, and the first section 54 of the air
intake duct is provided horizontally substantially. Certainly, the
first section 54 of the air intake duct may also be provided at
other angles. In the present preferable embodiment, the door 12 of
the refrigerating compartment provided with the ice making
compartment 16 is provided at a left side wall 30 of the
refrigerating compartment 10, and the first section 54 of the air
intake duct is provided adjacent to the left side wall 30, which
may reduce a length of the air intake duct and further reduce the
loss of refrigeration capacity.
[0031] In addition, the air return duct includes a first section 66
of the air return duct provided in the refrigerating compartment 10
and a second section 68 of the air return duct provided on the door
12 of the refrigerating compartment. One end of the first section
66 of the air return duct is communicated with the ice making
evaporator 24, the other end of the first section 66 of the air
return duct is provided with a third air vent 70, one end of the
second section 68 of the air return duct is communicated with the
ice making compartment 16, and the other end of the second section
68 of the air return duct is provided with a fourth air vent 72.
When the door 12 of the refrigerating compartment is open, the
third air vent 70 is separated from the fourth air vent 72, thereby
disconnecting the first section 66 of the air return duct from the
second section 68 of the air return duct. When the door 12 of the
refrigerating compartment is closed, the third air vent 70 is
butt-jointed with the fourth air vent 72 to communicate the first
and second sections 66 and 68 of the air return duct, thereby
transferring the heat of the ice making compartment 16 to the
compartment 20 for the ice making evaporator through the first and
second sections 66 and 68 of the air return duct.
[0032] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second preferable embodiment
according to the present invention is different from the first
preferable embodiment in the arrangement of the air intake duct,
and in that the refrigerating compartment and the freezing
compartment in the present embodiment share one evaporator. The
difference therebetween will be introduced in detail below, without
explaining the similarities herein.
[0033] In the present embodiment, only one section of the air
intake duct 74 is provided in the refrigerating compartment 10,
wherein one end of the air intake duct 74 is communicated with the
ice making evaporator 24, the other end of the air intake duct 74
is provided with the fifth air vent 76, and the ice making
compartment 16 is provided with a sixth air vent 78. When the door
12 of the refrigerating compartment is open, the fifth air vent 76
is separated from the sixth air vent 78, thereby separating the air
intake duct 74 from the ice making compartment 16; when the door 12
of the refrigerating compartment is closed, the fifth air vent 76
is butt-jointed to the sixth air vent 78 to communicate the air
intake duct 74 with the ice making compartment 16, thereby
transferring the cold air at the ice making evaporator 24 to the
ice making compartment 16 by means of the ice making blower 22
through the air intake duct 74 for making ice.
[0034] The air intake duct 74 is provided adjacent to the left side
wall 30 of the refrigerating compartment 10, and is angularly
provided from the horizontal direction. In this way, the length of
the air intake duct 74 is reduced, the loss of refrigeration
capacity is reduced, and the refrigeration efficiency is further
improved. In the present preferable embodiment, the arrangement of
the air return duct is the same as in the first embodiment, and is
not repeated herein.
[0035] In the present preferable embodiment, the refrigerating
compartment 10 and the freezing compartment 14 share one
evaporator. Specifically, the refrigerator includes a freezing
evaporator 80, a freezing blower 82 and an air quantity adjusting
device (not shown), wherein the freezing evaporator 80 supplies the
cold air to the refrigerating compartment 10 and the freezing
compartment 14, and the air quantity adjusting device is configured
for adjusting the air quantity blown to the refrigerating
compartment 10 and the freezing compartment 14 by the freezing
blower 82.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 5, the arrangement of the air intake duct
in the third preferable embodiment is similar to that in the first
embodiment. In addition, the arrangement of the evaporator in the
third embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment. The third
embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the
arrangement of the air return duct. The above-mentioned difference
will be introduced below, without repeating the similarities
herein.
[0037] In the present preferable embodiment, the air return duct
also includes a first section 84 of the air return duct provided in
the refrigerating compartment 10 and a second section 86 of the air
return duct provided on the door 12 of the refrigerating
compartment. The present preferable embodiment differs from the
first embodiment in that the first section 84 of the air return
duct is angularly provided from the horizontal direction. The
second section 86 of the air return duct includes a first portion
88 of the air return duct, which is operatively separated from or
communicated with the first section 84 of the air return duct; and
a second portion 90 of the air return duct, which is communicated
with the ice making compartment 16 and is angularly provided from
the first portion 88 of the air return duct.
[0038] Specifically, one end of the first portion 88 of the air
return duct is communicated with the second portion 90 of the air
return duct, the other end of the first portion 88 of the air
return duct is provided with a seventh air vent 92, one end of the
first section 84 of the air return duct is communicated with the
ice making evaporator 24, and the other end of the first section 84
of the air return duct is provided with an eighth air vent 94. When
the door 12 of the refrigerating compartment is open, the seventh
air vent 92 is separated from the eighth air vent 94, thereby
disconnecting the first section 84 of the air return duct from the
first portion 88 of the air return duct; when the door 12 of the
refrigerating compartment is closed, the seventh air vent 92 is
butt-jointed with the eighth air vent 94 to communicate the first
section 84 of the air return duct with the first portion 88 of the
air return duct.
[0039] It should be understood that although the present
specification is described based on embodiments, not every
embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. Such a
narration way of the present specification is only for the sake of
clarity. Those skilled in the art should take the present
specification as an entirety. The technical solutions in the
respective embodiments may be combined properly to form other
embodiments which may be understood by those skilled in the
art.
[0040] A series of the detailed descriptions set forth above is
merely specific description of feasible embodiments of the present
invention, and is not intended to limit the protection scope of the
present invention. Equivalent embodiments or modifications made
within the spirit of the present invention shall fall within the
protection scope of the present invention.
* * * * *