Fresh drawer and refrigerator using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10907893-B2
Application number	US-201615744817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 29, 2015
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A fresh drawer and a refrigerator using same. The fresh drawer comprises: a drawer body, wherein a storage chamber for storing food is provided inside the drawer body, and the storage chamber is of an openable sealed structure; a gas supplier, used for providing fresh-keeping gas for the storage chamber; and a pressure balancer, used for balancing air pressure inside the storage chamber. In the fresh drawer and the refrigerator using same, air in an inner storage chamber is replaced with fresh-keeping gas such as nitrogen and oxygen, to provide a modified atmosphere for a food storage space, such that the shelf life of food can be greatly extended.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fresh drawer, comprising:
a drawer body provided with a storage chamber within the drawer body for storing food, the storage chamber being of an openable sealed structure;
a gas supplier for supplying fresh-keeping gas to the storage chamber, and the gas supplier having a gas cylinder for storing fresh-keeping gas and a pressure relief valve connected to the gas cylinder;
a pressure balancer for balancing the gas pressure inside the storage chamber, and having a base and check valves;
wherein a gas supply compartment is provided in the drawer body for placement of the gas supplier, and the gas supply compartment is communicated with the storage chamber via a gas passage;
wherein a gas discharge passage and a gas suction passage which are unidirectionally opened and have opposite opening directions are provided in the pressure balancer; a gas inlet end of the gas discharge passage is communicated with an inside of the storage chamber, and a gas outlet end of the gas discharge passage is communicated with an outside of the storage chamber; a gas outlet end of the gas suction passage is communicated with the inside of the storage chamber, and a gas inlet end of the gas suction passage is communicated with the outside of the storage chamber;
wherein the gas inlet end of the gas discharge passage and the gas outlet end of the gas suction passage are communicated with the inside of the storage chamber respectively via a first port, and the gas outlet end of the gas discharge passage and the gas inlet end of the gas suction passage are communicated with an inside of a refrigerator compartment outside the storage chamber respectively via a second port.

2. The fresh drawer according to claim 1 , wherein the drawer body comprises a cover body, a box body and a door body, wherein the box body is movable with respect to the cover body in a depth direction of a refrigerator to open or close the storage chamber, and the door body is provided at an outer side of the refrigerator in the depth direction and used for heat preservation.

3. The fresh drawer according to claim 1 , wherein the base is used for mounting the check valves; a first check valve of the check valves in the gas discharge passage is provided to be opened outwards from the inside of the storage chamber; a second check valve of the check valves in the gas suction passage is provided to be opened inwards from the outside of the storage chamber.

4. The fresh drawer according to claim 3 , wherein each of the first check valve in the gas discharge passage and the second check valve in the gas suction passage is provided in a vertical direction and comprises a valve body and a valve core bead, wherein an inner wall of the valve body contracts inwards radially to form an annular stop portion, and the valve core bead is laid on the stop portion and is matched with the stop portion to enable opening or closing of the each check valve.

5. The fresh drawer according to claim 1 , wherein the second port is communicated with a ventilation pipeline, and the ventilation pipeline is communicated with an outside of the refrigerator.

6. A refrigerator, comprising a fresh drawer comprising:
a drawer body provided with a storage chamber within the drawer body for storing food, the storage chamber being of an openable sealed structure;
a gas supplier for supplying fresh-keeping gas to the storage chamber, and the gas supplier having a gas cylinder for storing fresh-keeping gas and a pressure relief valve connected to the gas cylinder;
a pressure balancer for balancing the gas pressure inside the storage chamber, and having a base and check valves;
wherein a gas supply compartment is provided in the drawer body for placement of the gas supplier, and the gas supply compartment is communicated with the storage chamber via a gas passage;
wherein a gas discharge passage and a gas suction passage which are unidirectionally opened and have opposite opening directions are provided in the pressure balancer; a gas inlet end of the gas discharge passage is communicated with an inside of the storage chamber, and a gas outlet end of the gas discharge passage is communicated with an outside of the storage chamber; a gas outlet end of the gas suction passage is communicated with the inside of the storage chamber, and a gas inlet end of the gas suction passage is communicated with the outside of the storage chamber;
wherein the gas inlet end of the gas discharge passage and the gas outlet end of the gas suction passage are communicated with the inside of the storage chamber respectively via a first port, and the gas outlet end of the gas discharge passage and the gas inlet end of the gas suction passage are communicated with an inside of a refrigerator compartment outside the storage chamber respectively via a second port.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the drawer body comprises a cover body, a box body and a door body, wherein the box body is movable with respect to the cover body in a depth direction of a refrigerator to open or close the storage chamber, and the door body is provided at an outer side of the refrigerator in the depth direction and used for heat preservation.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the base is used for mounting the check valves; a first check valve of the check valves in the gas discharge passage is provided to be opened outwards from the inside of the storage chamber; a second check valve of the check valves in the gas suction passage is provided to be opened inwards from the outside of the storage chamber.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein each of the first check valve in the gas discharge passage and the second check valve in the gas suction passage is provided in a vertical direction and comprises a valve body and a valve core bead, wherein an inner wall of the valve body contracts inwards radially to form an annular stop portion, and the valve core bead is laid on the stop portion and is matched with the stop portion to enable opening or closing of the check valve.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the second port is communicated with a ventilation pipeline, and the ventilation pipeline is communicated with an outside of the refrigerator.

Assignees

• Qingdao Haier Joint Stock Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fei Bin
• Lu Riyong
• Liu Jinlin
• Zhu Xiaobing

Classifications

• A23B2/704

  in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor · CPC title

• A23B2/001

  Details of apparatus, e.g. pressure feed valves or for transport, or loading or unloading manipulation · CPC title

• F25D17/042

  Air treating means within refrigerated spaces (air conditioning in general F24F) · CPC title

• F25D29/00

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F25D25/025 Primary

  Drawers · CPC title