EP3627082B1

EP3627082B1 - Humidity-regulating drawer assembly for refrigerator, and refrigerator

Info

Publication number: EP3627082B1
Application number: EP17910076.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hanfei PAN; Song Yang; Chenglong Hong
Original assignee: Hefei Hualing Co Ltd; Midea Group Co Ltd; Hefei Midea Refrigerator Co Ltd
Current assignee: Hefei Hualing Co Ltd; Midea Group Co Ltd; Hefei Midea Refrigerator Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-05-19
Filing date: 2017-07-28
Publication date: 2021-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 2037-07-28
Also published as: EP3627082A4; WO2018209817A1; CN107131711A; CN107131711B; EP3627082A1

Description

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a technical field of refrigeration equipment, and in particular to a humidity-regulating drawer assembly for a refrigerator and a refrigerator having the same.

BACKGROUND

Usually, food with high water content, such as vegetables and fruits, are suitable to be stored in an environment of a high humidity, and different kinds of foods are suitable to be stored with different humidity values. In an air cooled refrigerator in the related art, a circulating air will take moisture away from food stored in a refrigerating chamber, thus leading to a weight reduction of food and a loss of vitamins and other nutrients, and hence affecting the freshness of food and shortening the storage time of food.
WO2016/169897A1 relates to a home appliance comprising an inner liner defining a storage space; a container arranged inside the storage space; a manual actuator configured for adjusting humidity inside the container and comprising a control element, the manual actuator defining at least one lock-in position for the control element, corresponding to at least one humidity level inside the container.
DE102009029141 relates to a household refrigeration device, having a storage space and a container, in particular a vegetable compartment, which is separated from the storage space. At least one closure part of the container can be adjusted between an open and a closed position. In the open position of the closure part, the container communicates with a high pressure area and a low pressure area of the storage room.

SUMMARY

The present invention aims at solving at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. Therefore, the present invention provides a humidity-regulating drawer assembly for a refrigerator, which has advantages of a simple operation, a convenient use, a good fresh-keeping effect and a strong practicability.
The present invention also provides a refrigerator including the humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator.
The humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator according to the present invention is as set out in claim 1. The humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator according to the invention has advantages of a simple operation, a convenient use, a good fresh-keeping effect and a strong practicability.
A refrigerator according to the present invention is set out in claim 11 The refrigerator according to the present invention has advantages of a simple operation, a convenient use, a good fresh-keeping effect and a strong practicability, by utilizing the humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator as described above.
Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of present invention will be given in part in the following descriptions, become apparent in part from the following descriptions, or be learned from the practice of the embodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a humidity-regulating drawer assembly for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is an exploded view of a humidity-regulating drawer assembly for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a humidity-preserving cover of a humidity-regulating drawer assembly for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a shelf of a humidity-regulating drawer assembly for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a regulating baffle of a humidity-regulating drawer assembly for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Reference Numerals:

humidity-regulating drawer assembly 1 for refrigerator,
drawer main body 10, accommodating cavity 11, humidity-regulating opening 12, humidity-preserving cover 20, ventilation hole 21, fixed member 22,
shelf 30, mounting chamber 31, regulating window 32, stop rib 33, positioning pin 34, regulating switch 40, regulating groove 41, drive piece 42,
regulating baffle 50, mounting groove 51, regulating column 52, first position limiting rib 53, second position limiting rib 54,
partition plate 60, positioning hole 61.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention are further described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Same or similar reference signs represent the same or similar components or components that have the same or similar functions from beginning to end. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary, are merely used to explain the present disclosure, and cannot be construed as a limitation to the present invention.
A humidity-regulating drawer assembly 1 for a refrigerator according to the invention will be described in the following with references to the drawings. The humidity-regulating drawer assembly 1 has advantages of a simple operation, a convenient use, a good fresh-keeping effect and a strong practicability.
As illustrated in Figs. 1-6, the humidity-regulating drawer assembly 1 for the refrigerator according to the invention includes a drawer main body 10, a humidity-preserving cover 20, a shelf 30, a regulating switch 40 and a regulating baffle 50.
Specifically, the drawer main body 10 has an accommodating cavity 11 for receiving food. The humidity-preserving cover 20 is arranged to the drawer main body 10 and covers the accommodating cavity 11. The humidity-preserving cover 20 and the drawer main body 10 define a humidity-regulating opening 12, which is communicated with the accommodating cavity 11. The shelf 30 is arranged on the humidity-preserving cover 20, and the regulating switch 40 and the regulating baffle 50 are arranged to the shelf 30, respectively. The regulating switch 40 is movable in a left-right direction, and the regulating baffle 50 is movable in a front-rear direction. In addition, the regulating baffle 50 is fitted with the regulating switch 40, such that the regulating baffle 50 converts the left-right movement of the regulating switch 40 into its own front-rear movement, thereby regulating an opening degree of the humidity-regulating opening 12.
Thus, the regulating switch 40 is moved such that the regulating baffle 50 moves forwards until closing the humidity-regulating opening 12, that is, the opening degree of the humidity-regulating opening 12 is zero. Thus, the sealing of the accommodating cavity 11 can be achieved and the water loss of food in the accommodating cavity 11 can be avoided. Especially, when vegetables or fruits with high water content are stored in the accommodating cavity 11, water generated by respiration and transpiration actions of the vegetables or fruits can be preserved in the accommodating cavity 11, such that the accommodating cavity 11 can provide an environment with a high humidity, which facilitates food preservation.
When a humidity in the accommodating cavity 11 needs to be regulated, the regulating switch 40 may be moved to allow the regulating baffle 50 to be moved backwards and hence the regulating baffle 50 opens the humidity-regulating opening 12, that is, the opening degree of the humidity-regulating opening 12 is larger than zero. Thus, the water in the accommodating cavity 11 may be dissipated through the humidity-regulating opening 12 to the refrigerator, such that the accommodating cavity 11 may have different humidity values by regulating the opening degree of the humidity-regulating opening 12, which is convenient for storing different kinds of foods.
In summary, the humidity-regulating drawer assembly according to the embodiments of the present invention utilizes the regulating switch 40 and the regulating baffle 50 to regulate the opening degree of the humidity-regulating opening 12, so as to enhance the food preservation effect and prolong the food storage time. Moreover, since the opening degree of the humidity-regulating opening 12 is adjustable, the humidity value of the accommodating cavity 11 can be changed to be suitable for storing different kinds of foods, thus meeting different usage requirements of a user.
In addition, since the regulating baffle 50 may be moved along the front-rear direction by moving the regulating switch 40 in the left-right direction, it is convenient for the user to operate. Moreover, since the movement of the regulating switch 40 in the left-right direction does not act on the humidity-preserving cover 20, the sticking or blocking caused by the rotation of the humidity-preserving cover 20 can also be avoided.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, the regulating baffle 50 is provided with a mounting groove 51 extending in the left-right direction. A rear surface of the mounting groove 51 is open. The humidity-regulating opening 12 is arranged in front of the humidity-preserving cover 20, and a front edge of the humidity-preserving cover 20 is mounted in the mounting groove 51. For example, the humidity-regulating opening 12 is defined by the front edge of the humidity-preserving cover 20 and a side wall of the drawer main body 10, and the mounting groove 51 is configured to have a "U" shape horizontally located. Thus, the opening degree of the humidity-regulating opening 12 can be adjusted in a large range, and the humidity in the accommodating cavity 11 can have a great change, which facilitates to enhance the humidity regulating effect. Moreover, the structure is compact, and the movement of the regulating baffle 50 in the front-rear direction is smooth, which is convenient for the user's operations.
Furthermore, as illustrated in Fig.1, a width of a lower wall of the mounting groove 51 is not less than a width of the humidity-regulating opening 12, thus ensuring that the humidity-regulating opening 12 can be completely closed by the regulating baffle 50. Furthermore, the width of the lower wall of the mounting groove 51 is larger than the width of the humidity-regulating opening 12. Thus, when the humidity-regulating opening 12 is closed by the regulating baffle 50, a front surface of the mounting groove 51 is located on an upper edge of a front side wall of the drawer main body 10, thus providing a great sealing performance.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in Fig. 2, one of the regulating switch 40 and the regulating baffle 50 is provided with a regulating groove 41, which is arranged obliquely relative to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The other one of the regulating switch 40 and the regulating baffle 50 is provided with a regulating column 52, which is movably fitted in the regulating groove 41 to guide the regulating switch 40 and the regulating baffle 50 to move.
Advantageously, as illustrated in Fig.2, a plurality of the regulating grooves 41 and a plurality of the regulating columns 52 are provided, respectively, the plurality of regulating grooves 41 are arranged in the regulating switch 40, and the plurality of regulating columns 52 are arranged on the regulating baffle 50. The plurality of regulating columns 52 are fitted in the plurality of regulating grooves 41 in one to one correspondence, so as to improve the synchronicity of left and right ends of the regulating baffle 50 and also to facilitate the user's operations.
According to the present invention, as illustrated in Figs. 4-6, the shelf 30 is provided with a mounting chamber 31 for mounting the regulating baffle 50 therein. An upper edge of the regulating baffle 50 is snapped in the mounting chamber 31, and one of the left and right ends of the regulating baffle 50 is provided with a first position limiting rib 53, which is blocked by the shelf 30 in the left-right direction to restrict the movement of the regulating baffle 50 in the left-right direction, thereby enabling the regulating baffle 50 to move smoothly along the front-rear direction.
Optionally, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the humidity-preserving cover 20 is provided with a fixed member 22. The other one of the left and right ends of the regulating baffle 50 is provided with a second position limiting rib 54, and the second position limiting rib 54 is blocked by the fixed member 22 in the left-right direction to further restrict the movement of the regulating baffle 50 in the left-right direction, thereby further enabling the regulating baffle 50 to move smoothly along the front-rear direction.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a drive piece 42 is arranged to the regulating switch 40, and the shelf 30 is provided with a regulating window 32. The drive piece 42 is exposed from the regulating window 32 to drive the regulating switch 40 to move in the left-right direction, so as to facilitate the user's operations. Preferably, in order to improve the smoothness of the drive piece 42 sliding in the left-right direction and to enhance the hand feeling of the user when operating, the drive piece 42 may adopt self-lubricating materials.
Furthermore, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the drive piece 42 is mounted at a side edge of the shelf 30. When the drive piece 42 is operated to slide towards a middle portion of the shelf 30 in the left-right direction, the sliding of the drive piece 42 causes parts under the drive piece 42 to be visible from the regulating window 32, thus affecting the appearance integrity and the sealing performance of the drawer main body 10. Therefore, a partition plate 60 may be arranged between the regulating switch 40 and the regulating baffle 50, and the partition plate 60 is visible from the regulating window 32 when the drive piece 42 drives the regulating switch 40 to move, such that the appearance integrity and the sealing performance of the drawer main body 10 are good. The partition plate 60 extends in the left-right direction, and is provided with a relief hole to allow the movement of the regulating column 52 along the regulating groove 41.
It is appreciated that, when the drive piece 42 is mounted at the middle portion of the shelf 30 in the left-right direction, an operated part of the drive piece 42 may be located in a middle portion of the drive piece 42 in the left-right direction, and thus the partition plate 60 does not need to be mounted.
Advantageously, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the shelf 30 is provided with a plurality of stop ribs 33, and an edge of the regulating switch 40 and an edge of the partition plate 60 are snapped in the plurality of stop ribs 33, respectively. For example, the plurality of stop ribs 33 are arranged in two rows in the front-rear direction, and each row of stop ribs 33 are spaced apart from each other along the left-right direction. The front and rear edges of the regulating switch 40 and the front and rear edges of the partition plate 60 are snapped in two adjacent stop ribs 33 in the front-rear direction, respectively.
Furthermore, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, the shelf 30 is further provided with a positioning pin 34, and the partition plate 60 has a positioning hole 61. The positioning pin 34 is fitted in the positioning hole 61, such that the partition plate 60 is firmly fixed to the shelf 30.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in Fig. 3, a plurality of ventilation holes 21 are formed in a rear side wall of the humidity-preserving cover 20, and the plurality of ventilation holes 21 are spaced apart from each other along the left-right direction. Thus, when the humidity-regulating opening 12 is opened, a ventilation passage may be formed between the plurality of ventilation holes 21 and the humidity-regulating opening 12, and a circulating air in the refrigerator will take part of the moisture in the accommodating cavity 11 away, such that the decrease of the humidity value is significant, and thus the humidity regulating effect is enhanced. The specific number and area of the ventilation holes 21 may be obtained by making humidity test experiments according to the required humidity value.
As illustrated in Figs. 1-6, the humidity-regulating drawer assembly 1 for the refrigerator according to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure includes two drawer main bodies 10, two humidity-preserving covers 20, one shelf 30, two regulating switches 40, two regulating baffles 50 and two partition plates 60.
Specifically, the two drawer main bodies 10 are arranged in the left-right direction, and the two humidity-preserving covers 20 are arranged to cover the two drawer main bodies 10, respectively. The front edge of each humidity-preserving cover 20 and the corresponding drawer main body 10 define a humidity-regulating opening 12 therebetween. The front edges of the two humidity-preserving covers 20 are inserted in the mounting grooves 51 of the two regulating baffles 50, respectively. The shelf 30 is arranged on the two humidity-preserving covers 20 and a front edge of the shelf 30 is provided with a regulating window 32 in each of its left and right ends. Drive pieces 42 of the two regulating switches 40 are exposed from the two regulating windows 32, respectively.
The two regulating baffles 50 are mounted under the two regulating windows 32, respectively. A left end of the regulating baffle 50 on the left side is snapped in the mounting chamber 31 at the left end of the shelf 30, and a right end of the regulating baffle 50 on the right side is snapped in the mounting chamber 31 at the right end of the shelf 30. The left end of the regulating baffle 50 on the left side is provided with the first position limiting rib 53, and a right end of the regulating baffle 50 on the left side is provided with the second position limiting rib 54. The right end of the regulating baffle 50 on the right side is provided with the first position limiting rib 53, and a left end of the regulating baffle 50 on the right side is provided with the second position limiting rib 54. The first position limiting ribs 53 are blocked by the shelf 30 and the second position limiting ribs 54 are blocked by the fixed member 22.
When the drive piece 42 is operated to move in left-right direction, the regulating column 52 on the regulating baffle 50 slides along the regulating groove 41 of the regulating switch 40. Since the first position limiting rib 53 and the second position limiting rib 54 restrict the movement of the regulating baffle 50 in the left-right direction, the regulating baffle 50 can only be moved along the front-rear direction.
A refrigerator according to embodiments of the present invention includes a humidity-regulating drawer assembly 1 for a refrigerator according to the first aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure.
The refrigerator according to embodiments of the present invention also has advantages of a simple operation, a convenient use, a good fresh-keeping effect and a strong practicability by utilizing the humidity-regulating drawer assembly 1 for the refrigerator as described above.
Other components and operations of the refrigerator according to embodiments of the present disclosure are generally known by those skilled in the art and thus will not be described in detail herein.
In the specification of the present disclosure, it will be appreciated that, terms such as "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "front", "rear", "left," "right," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," indicate the orientation or position relationship based on the orientation or position relationship illustrated in the drawings only for convenience of description or for simplifying description of the present disclosure, and do not alone indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and hence cannot be construed as a limitation to the present disclosure. In addition, terms such as "first" and "second" are used herein for purposes of description and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance or significance or to imply the number of indicated technical features. Thus, the feature defined with "first" and "second" may comprise one or more of this feature. In the description of the present disclosure, "a plurality of' means two or more than two, unless specified otherwise.
In the present disclosure, it is should be noted that unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "coupled," "fixed" should be understood broadly, and may be, for example, fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; may also be mechanical or electrical connections; may also be direct connections or indirect connections via intervening structures; may also be inner communications of two elements, which can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.
Although embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that changes, modifications, alternatives, and variations can be made in the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

A humidity-regulating drawer assembly for a refrigerator, comprising:
a drawer main body (10) having an accommodating cavity (11);

a humidity-preserving cover (20) arranged to the drawer main body (10) and configured to cover the accommodating cavity (11), the humidity-preserving cover (20) and the drawer main body (10) defining a humidity-regulating opening (12) communicated with the accommodating cavity (11);

a shelf (30) arranged on the humidity-preserving cover (20);

a regulating switch (40) arranged to the shelf (30) and movable along a left-right direction;

a regulating baffle (50) arranged to the shelf (30), movable along a front-rear direction and fitted with the regulating switch (40), the regulating baffle (50) being configured to convert a left-right movement of the regulating switch (40) into a front-rear movement of the regulating baffle (50) so as to regulate an opening degree of the humidity-regulating opening (12),

the humidity-regulating drawer assembly being characterized in that the shelf (30) is provided with a mounting chamber (31) for mounting the regulating baffle (50) therein, and one of a left end and a right end of the regulating baffle (50) is provided with a first position limiting rib (53) blocked by the shelf (30) in the left-right direction.
The humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the regulating baffle is provided with a mounting groove (51) extending in the left-right direction, a rear surface of the mounting groove (51) is open, the humidity-regulating opening (12) is arranged in front of the humidity-preserving cover (20) and a front edge of the humidity-preserving cover (20) is mounted in the mounting groove (51).
The humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein a width of a lower wall of the mounting groove (51) is not less than a width of the humidity-regulating opening (12).
The humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein one of the regulating switch (40) and the regulating baffle (50) is provided with a regulating groove (41), the other one of the regulating switch (40) and the regulating baffle (50) is provided with a regulating column (52) movably fitted in the regulating groove (41), and the regulating groove (41) is arranged obliquely relative to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.
The humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of the regulating grooves (41) are provided and formed in the regulating switch (40), a plurality of the regulating columns (52) are provided and arranged on the regulating baffle (50), and the plurality of the regulating columns (52) are fitted in the plurality of the regulating grooves (41) in one to one correspondence.
The humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator according to claim 1 wherein the humidity-preserving cover (20) is provided with a fixed member (22), and the other one of the left end and the right end of the regulating baffle (50) is provided with a second position limiting rib (54) blocked by the fixed member in the left-right direction.
The humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the regulating switch (40) is provided with a drive piece (42) configured to drive the regulating switch (40) to move in the left-right direction, the shelf (30) is provided with a regulating window (32), and the drive piece (42) is exposed from the regulating window (32).
The humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein a partition plate (60) is arranged between the regulating switch (40) and the regulating baffle (50), and the partition plate (60) is visible from the regulating window (32) when the drive piece (42) drives the regulating switch (40) to move.
The humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the shelf (30) is provided with a plurality of stop ribs (33), and an edge of the regulating switch (40) and an edge of the partition plate (60) are snapped in the plurality of stop ribs (33), respectively.
The humidity-regulating drawer assembly for the refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein a plurality of ventilation holes (21) are provided in a rear side wall of the humidity-preserving cover (20), and the plurality of ventilation holes (21) are spaced apart from one another in the left-right direction.
A refrigerator, comprising a humidity-regulating drawer assembly for a refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-10.