Air-cooled refrigerator with evaporator at bottom of cabinet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12339053-B2
Application number	US-202118020970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2021
Priority date	Aug 18, 2020
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

Provided is an air-cooled refrigerator with an evaporator at the bottom of a cabinet thereof. The air-cooled refrigerator includes: a cabinet with a bottom liner; a partition cover plate transversely arranged in the bottom liner to divide the bottom liner into a storage space and a cooling chamber below the storage space; a return air cover arranged at the front of the cooling chamber and provided with at least one front return air inlet; and an evaporator, which is in a flat cuboid shape and is mounted in the cooling chamber in a manner of inclining upwards from front to back, where a front portion of a top surface of the evaporator, the partition cover plate and the return air cover define a frost-accommodating space, such that some of the air that enters from the front return air inlet enters the evaporator from the frost-accommodating space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air-cooled refrigerator with an evaporator at a bottom of a cabinet, comprising:
the cabinet with a bottom liner;
a partition cover plate transversely arranged in the bottom liner and used for dividing an internal space of the bottom liner into a cooling chamber and a storage space, wherein the cooling chamber is located below the storage space;
a return air cover arranged at a front portion of the cooling chamber, wherein, a top of the return air cover is connected to a front end of the partition cover plate, the return air cover is provided with at least one front return air inlet that communicates the cooling chamber with the storage space, and air needed for heat exchange is provided for the cooling chamber through the front return air inlet; and
the evaporator, wherein the evaporator is in a flat cuboid shape, and is arranged in the cooling chamber in a manner of inclining upwards from front to back, and a front portion of a top surface of the evaporator, the partition cover plate and the return air cover define a frost-accommodating space, thereby enabling a part of air inflow from the front return air inlet to enter the evaporator from the frost-accommodating space;
wherein the air-cooled refrigerator further comprises:
a top heating wire at least arranged at the front portion of the top surface of the evaporator and configured to provide heat needed by defrosting for the evaporator; and
an evaporator heat preservation part arranged between the partition cover plate and a top of the evaporator, which comprises:
a filling portion with which an area region, located behind the frost-accommodating space, between the partition cover plate and the top surface of the evaporator is filled; and
a heating wire limiting portion extending forwards from the filling portion.

2. The air-cooled refrigerator with the evaporator at the bottom of the cabinet according to claim 1 ,
wherein the heating wire limiting portion is provided with at least one downwards-protruding convex rib which can tightly press the top heating wire on the top surface of the evaporator.

3. The air-cooled refrigerator with the evaporator at the bottom of the cabinet according to claim 2 , wherein
a plurality of convex ribs are located above a transverse middle portion and two transverse sides of the top heating wire respectively.

4. The air-cooled refrigerator with the evaporator at the bottom of the cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein
the evaporator heat preservation part is formed by sequentially stacking a plurality of heat preservation layers different in material, and the heat preservation layers comprise:
a heat preservation foam layer attached to a lower surface of the partition cover plate;
a resin film layer attached to a lower surface of the heat preservation foam layer; and
a metal temperature equalization layer arranged on an outer side of the resin film layer and abutting against the top heating wire.

5. The air-cooled refrigerator with the evaporator at the bottom of the cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein
a bottom wall of the bottom liner is further provided with a water receiving trough, and a bottom of the water receiving trough is provided with a water outlet; and the air-cooled refrigerator further comprises:
a water pan arranged between the evaporator and the bottom wall of the bottom liner and configured to receive water on the evaporator, an area, opposite to the water receiving trough, of the water pan being provided with a plurality of through holes; and
a bottom heating wire coiled between the water pan and the evaporator and configured to provide heat for defrosting of the evaporator.

6. The air-cooled refrigerator with the evaporator at the bottom of the cabinet according to claim 5 , wherein
the bottom heating wire further comprises: a front extension section which extends to a position in front of the evaporator from a bottom of the evaporator and is used for heating and melting away frost falling down from the frost-accommodating space during defrosting.

7. The air-cooled refrigerator with the evaporator at the bottom of the cabinet according to claim 6 , wherein
power density of the front extension section is set to be less than or equal to 10 w/m.

8. The air-cooled refrigerator with the evaporator at the bottom of the cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the return air cover is provided with:
a first front return air inlet transversely formed in an upper portion of the return air cover; and
a second front return air inlet transversely formed in a lower portion of the return air cover, so that air in the storage space flows towards the evaporator from an upper area and a lower area.

9. The air-cooled refrigerator with the evaporator at the bottom of the cabinet according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an air duct back plate which is arranged in front of a rear wall of the bottom liner, defines, with the rear wall of the bottom liner, an air supply duct, and is provided with at least one air supply port used for communicating the air supply duct with the storage space; and
a refrigeration fan arranged behind the evaporator, wherein an air outlet of the refrigeration fan is connected to a lower end of the air supply duct, and the refrigeration fan is configured to promote formation of a refrigeration airflow which flows into the evaporator from the front return air inlet and then is supplied to the air supply duct.

10. An air-cooled refrigerator with an evaporator at a bottom of a cabinet, comprising:
the cabinet with a bottom liner;
a partition cover plate transversely arranged in the bottom liner and used for dividing an internal space of the bottom liner into a cooling chamber and a storage space, wherein the cooling chamber is located below the storage space;
a return air cover arranged at a front portion of the cooling chamber, wherein, a top of the return air cover is connected to a front end of the partition cover plate, the return air cover is provided with at least one front return air inlet that communicates the cooling chamber with the storage space, and air needed for heat exchange is provided for the cooling chamber through the front return air inlet; and
the evaporator, wherein the evaporator is in a flat cuboid shape, and is arranged in the cooling chamber in a manner of inclining upwards from front to back, and a front portion of a top surface of the evaporator, the partition cover plate and the return air cover define a frost-accommodating space, thereby enabling a part of air inflow from the front return air inlet to enter the evaporator from the frost-accommodating space, wherein
a bottom wall of the bottom liner is further provided with a water receiving trough, and a bottom of the water receiving trough is provided with a water outlet; and the air-cooled refrigerator further comprises:
a water pan arranged between the evaporator and the bottom wall of the bottom liner and configured to receive water on the evaporator; and
a bottom heating wire coiled between the water pan and the evaporator and configured to provide heat for defrosting of the evaporator, wherein
the bottom heating wire further comprises: a front extension section which extends to a position in front of the evaporator from a bottom of the evaporator and is used for heating and melting away frost falling down from the frost-accommodating space during defrosting.

11. The air-cooled refrigerator with the evaporator at the bottom of the cabinet according to claim 10 , wherein
an area, opposite to the water receiving trough, of the water pan is provided with a plurality of through holes.

12. The air-cooled refrigerator with

Assignees

• Qingdao haier refrigerator co ltd
• Haier Smart Home Co Ltd

Inventors

• Miao Jianlin
• Liu Hui
• Dong Lingyun
• Wang Ming

Classifications

• F25D2321/144

  characterised by the construction of drip water collection pans · CPC title

• F25D21/14

  Collecting or removing condensed and defrost water; Drip trays · CPC title

• F25D21/08 Primary

  by electric heating · CPC title

• F25D17/067 Primary

  Evaporator fan units · CPC title

• F25D2201/128

  of foil type · CPC title