Storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11445740-B2
Application number	US-201716466291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2017
Priority date	Dec 2, 2016
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

The present invention provides a storage device, including: a box body, a gas separator, and a gas extractor, wherein the gas extractor is communicated with the gas separator. The storage device of the present invention may form a nitrogen-rich and oxygen-deficient atmosphere beneficial to food freshness preservation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage device, comprising:
a box body, wherein the box body has at least one controlled-atmosphere freshness preservation space;
a gas separator, wherein the gas separator has a controlled-atmosphere membrane, and is configured to: suck in a part of air outside the gas separator, and separate more oxygen than nitrogen from the part of air by means of the controlled-atmosphere membrane to form oxygen-rich gas, so that a remaining gas except the oxygen-rich gas in the part of air that enters the gas separator is fed into the controlled-atmosphere freshness preservation space; and
a gas extractor, communicated to the gas separator via a pipe, and configured to enable the oxygen-rich gas to flow out of the gas separator;
wherein the gas separator further comprises:
a gas collection box, wherein a horizontally placed support frame is disposed in the gas collection box, the support frame and an upper half box body of the gas collection box together define a first gas collection cavity, and the support frame and a lower half box body of the gas collection box together define a second gas collection cavity; wherein
the controlled-atmosphere membrane is horizontally disposed on the support frame, and is configured to: enable more oxygen than nitrogen in the air that enters the first gas collection cavity to pass through the controlled-atmosphere membrane to enter the second gas collection cavity, so as to form the oxygen-rich gas in the second gas collection cavity, and form the remaining gas in the first gas collection cavity;

three vent holes controllable to be opened are formed in the gas collection box, and are respectively a first vent hole allowing the part of air to enter the first gas collection cavity of the gas separator, a second vent hole allowing the remaining gas to enter the controlled-atmosphere freshness preservation space, and a third vent hole allowing the oxygen-rich gas to flow out of the second gas collection cavity.

2. The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the storage device further comprises:
a fan, disposed on a flow path from the first gas collection cavity to the controlled-atmosphere freshness preservation space, and configured to enable the remaining gas in the first gas collection cavity to flow to the controlled-atmosphere freshness preservation space.

3. The storage device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the fan is configured to be turned on as the second vent hole is opened.

4. The storage device according to claim 3 , wherein:
the second vent hole is configured to be opened after a delay, and when the first vent hole is opened, the second vent hole waits for a preset time period before being opened, so as to enable the remaining gas to flow to the controlled-atmosphere freshness preservation space.

5. The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the storage device further comprises:
a refrigeration system, disposed in the box body, and configured to supply cooled air to the controlled-atmosphere freshness preservation space.

6. The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein:
a storage space is defined in the box body;
a storage container is disposed in the storage space; and
the controlled-atmosphere freshness preservation space is located in the storage container.

7. The storage device according to claim 6 , wherein:
the storage container is a drawer assembly, and the drawer assembly comprises:
a drawer cylinder, having a front opening, and disposed in the storage space; and
a drawer body, slidably disposed in the drawer cylinder, so as to be operably pulled out or pushed in the drawer cylinder at the front opening of the drawer cylinder.

8. The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein:
a mounting cavity is disposed in the box body; and the gas extractor is located at an end of the mounting cavity.

9. The storage device according to claim 8 , wherein the gas extractor further comprises:
a mounting bottom plate, mounted on a bottom surface of the mounting cavity via a plurality of vibration reduction pads; and
a sealed box, mounted on the mounting bottom plate.

Assignees

• Qingdao Haier Joint Stock Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhu Xiaobing
• Jiang Bo
• Wang Lei
• Zhang Hao
• Wang Ming

Classifications

• F25D25/025

  Drawers · CPC title

• F25D11/02 Primary

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• A23B7/148 Primary

  in a controlled atmosphere, e.g. partial vacuum, comprising only CO2, N2, O2 or H2O · CPC title

• F25D17/042 Primary

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

• C01B13/0251

  by making use of membranes · CPC title