Patent ID: 12235042

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG.1is a schematic structural diagram of a heating device100according to one embodiment of the present invention.FIG.2is a schematic sectional view of the heating device100as shown inFIG.1, wherein an electromagnetic generating module161and a power supply module162are removed. Referring toFIG.1andFIG.2, the heating device100may include a cylinder body110, a door body120and an electromagnetic wave generating system.

The cylinder body110may be configured to place an object to be processed, and a front wall or a top wall thereof may be provided with a pick-and-place opening for picking and placing the object to be processed.

The door body120may be installed together with the cylinder body110by an appropriate method, such as a sliding rail connection, a hinged connection, etc., and is configured to open and close the pick-and-place opening. In an illustrated embodiment, the heating device100also includes a drawer140for carrying the object to be processed; a front end plate of the drawer140is configured to be fixedly connected with the door body120, and two lateral side plates of the drawer are movably connected with the cylinder body110by sliding rails.

In some embodiments, the electromagnetic wave generating system may include an electromagnetic generating module161, a power supply module162and a radiating assembly.

The power supply module162may be configured to be electrically connected with the electromagnetic generating module161to provide electric energy to the electromagnetic generating module161, so that the electromagnetic generating module161generates electromagnetic wave signals. The radiating assembly may include one or more radiating units disposed in the cylinder body110or accessed into the cylinder body110, and the one or more radiating units are electrically connected with the electromagnetic generating module161to generate electromagnetic waves of corresponding frequencies according to the electromagnetic wave signals, so as to heat the object to be processed in the cylinder body110. In some embodiments, the number of the radiating units may be one, and the radiating unit is a flat plate type radiating antenna150.

The cylinder body110and the door body120may be respectively provided with electromagnetic shielding features, so that the door body120is conductively connected with the cylinder body110when the door body is in a closed state, so as to prevent electromagnetic leakage.

In some embodiments, the cylinder body110may be made of metals to serve as a receiving pole to receive electromagnetic waves generated by the radiating antenna150. In some other embodiments, a side wall of the cylinder body110opposite to the radiating antenna150may be provided with a receiving pole plate to receive the electromagnetic waves generated by the radiating antenna150.

FIG.3is a schematic enlarged view of a region A inFIG.2. Referring toFIG.1toFIG.3, the heating device100may further include a temperature sensing device configured to sense the temperature of an object to be processed. Specifically, the temperature sensing device may include a signal sensing part171and a signal processing part172.

The signal sensing part171may be configured to sense the specific parameters of incident wave signals and reflected wave signals in the cylinder body110. In some embodiments, the signal sensing part171may be connected in series between the electromagnetic generating module161and the radiating antenna150, and detect in real time the incident wave signals and the reflected wave signals passing through the signal sensing part, wherein the radiating antenna150may serve as a signal receiving part of the temperature sensing device to receive the reflected wave signals.

The signal processing part172may be configured to acquire the specific parameters from the signal sensing part171, and calculate the power of the incident wave signals and reflected wave signals according to the specific parameters. In the present invention, the specific parameters may be voltage values and/or current values. Alternatively, the signal sensing part171may be a power meter to directly measure the power of the incident wave signals and reflected wave signals.

The signal processing part172may be configured to judge whether the average temperature of the object to be processed is in a specific temperature interval according to the power of the incident wave signals and reflected wave signals.

In some embodiments, the signal processing part172may be further configured to calculate an imaginary part change rate of a dielectric coefficient of the object to be processed according to the power of the incident wave signals and reflected wave signals and compare the imaginary part change rate with a preset change threshold, and determine that the average temperature of the object to be processed is in the specific temperature interval when the imaginary part change rate is greater than or equal to the preset change threshold. The calculation formulas of the imaginary part of the dielectric coefficient are as follows:
p=2ε0ε″πfE2
P(ti)=Pin(ti)−Prefl(ti)

In the above formulas, P represents power of electromagnetic waves absorbed by an object to be processed; ε0represents a vacuum dielectric coefficient; ε″ represents an imaginary part of a dielectric coefficient of the object to be processed; f represents frequency of electromagnetic waves; E represents electric field intensity in the cylinder body; p(ti) represents power of electromagnetic waves absorbed by the object to be processed at the time ti; Pin(ti) represents power of incident waves at the time ti; and Prefl(ti) represents power of reflected waves at the time ti.

In some other embodiments, the signal processing part172may be further configured to calculate an electromagnetic wave absorption rate (the ratio of the power of the absorbed electromagnetic waves to the power of the incident waves) of the object to be processed according to the power of the incident wave signals and reflected wave signals and compare the electromagnetic wave absorption rate with a preset absorption threshold, and determine that the average temperature of the object to be processed is in the specific temperature interval when the electromagnetic wave absorption rate is less than or equal to the preset absorption threshold.

When the heating device100is used for thawing, the specific temperature interval may be −5° C. to −1° C. The electromagnetic generating module161may be configured to stop working when the temperature sensing device determines that the average temperature of the object to be processed is in the specific temperature interval (i.e., −5° C. to −1° C.) so as to prevent the heated object to be processed from producing thawed water, and make the object to be processed have a suitable shear strength and easy to cut.

The heating device100may further include a matching unit173. The matching unit173may be connected in series between the electromagnetic generating module161and the radiating antenna150, and is configured to adjust a load impedance of the electromagnetic generating module161, so as to improve the matching degree between the output impedance and the load impedance of the electromagnetic generating module161, so that when foods with different fixed attributes (such as type, weight and volume) are placed in a heating chamber111, or during the temperature change of the foods, relatively more electromagnetic wave energy is radiated in the heating chamber111, thereby increasing the heating rate.

The signal processing part172may be further configured to send an adjusting command to the matching unit173when the electromagnetic wave absorption rate is less than a preset matching threshold. The preset matching threshold may be 60% to 80%, such as 60%, 70% or 80%.

In some embodiments, the signal sensing part171, the signal processing part172and the matching unit173may be integrated on a circuit board170, so as to facilitate the installation and maintenance of the signal sensing part171, the signal processing part172and the matching unit173.

The circuit board170may be disposed at the rear lower part inside the cylinder body110, which not only can make the cylinder body110have a relatively large storage space, but also can avoid the damage to the circuit board170due to excessively high food placed in the drawer140. The rear part of the bottom wall of the drawer140may be configured to be recessed upward to form an enlarged space below the drawer.

FIG.4is a schematic structural diagram of an electrical appliance chamber112according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIG.2andFIG.4, the heating device100may further include a housing130to separate the inner space of the cylinder body110into a heating chamber111and an electrical appliance chamber112. The object to be processed and the circuit board170may be respectively disposed in the heating chamber111and the electrical appliance chamber112to separate the object to be processed from the circuit board170, so as to prevent the circuit board170from being damaged by accidental touch.

Specifically, the housing130may include a clapboard131for separating the heating chamber111and the electrical appliance chamber112, and a skirt part132fixedly connected with the inner wall of the cylinder body110.

In some embodiments, the circuit board170may be horizontally disposed. A clamping tongue134extending upward and inward may be respectively formed on two lateral side walls of the housing130, and the circuit board170may be clamped above the two clamping tongues134.

The housing130and the cylinder body110may be provided with heat dissipation holes190respectively in positions corresponding to the matching unit173, so that the heat generated by the matching unit173during working is discharged through the heat dissipation holes190.

In some embodiments, the radiating antenna150may be disposed in the electrical appliance chamber112to prevent the radiating antenna150from being dirty or damaged by accidental touch.

The housing130may be made of an insulating material, so that the electromagnetic waves generated by the radiating antenna150can pass through the housing130to heat the object to be processed. Further, the housing130may be made of a non-transparent material to reduce the electromagnetic loss of the electromagnetic waves at the housing130, thereby increasing the heating rate of the object to be processed. The above-mentioned non-transparent material is a translucent material or an opaque material. The non-transparent material may be a PP material, a PC material or an ABS material, etc.

The housing130may also be configured to fix the radiating antenna150to simplify the assembly process of the heating device100and facilitate the positioning and installation of the radiating antenna150, wherein the radiating antenna150may be configured to be fixedly connected with the clapboard131.

In some embodiments, the radiating antenna150may be configured to be engaged with the housing130.FIG.5is a schematic enlarged view of a region B inFIG.4. Referring toFIG.5, the radiating antenna150may be provided with a plurality of engaging holes151; the housing130may be correspondingly provided with a plurality of buckles133, and the plurality of buckles133are configured to respectively pass through the plurality of engaging holes151to be engaged with the radiating antenna150.

In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the buckles133may be composed of two baths disposed at an interval and in mirror symmetry.

FIG.6is a schematic structural diagram of an electrical appliance chamber112according to another embodiment of the present invention.FIG.7is a schematic enlarged view of a region C inFIG.6. Referring toFIG.6andFIG.7, in another embodiment of the present invention, each of the buckles133may be composed of a fixing part perpendicular to the radiating antenna150and having a hollow middle part, and an elastic part extending inclining to the fixing part from the inner end edge of the fixing part and toward the antenna.

In some other embodiments, the radiating antenna150may be configured to be fixed to the housing130by an electroplating process.

The housing130may further include a plurality of reinforcing ribs, and the reinforcing ribs are configured to connect the clapboard131and the skirt part132so as to improve the structural strength of the housing130.

In some embodiments, the radiating antenna150may be horizontally disposed at the height of ⅓ to ½, such as ⅓, ⅖ or ½, of the cylinder body110, so that the volume of the heating chamber111is relatively large, and meanwhile, the electromagnetic waves in the heating chamber111have a relatively high energy density so as to make the object to be processed heated quickly.

Referring toFIG.4andFIG.6, the peripheral edge of the radiating antenna150may be formed by smooth curves, so as to make the distribution of electromagnetic waves in the cylinder body110more uniform, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of the object to be processed. A smooth curve refers to a curve of which the first derivative of the curve equation is continuous, which means that the peripheral edge of the radiating antenna150has no sharp corner in engineering.

In some embodiments, the metal cylinder body110may be configured to be grounded to discharge the electric charges thereon, thereby improving the safety of the heating device100.

The heating device100may further include a metal bracket180. The metal bracket180may be configured to connect the circuit board170and the cylinder body110to support the circuit board170and discharge the electric charges on the circuit board170through the cylinder body110. In some embodiments, the metal bracket180may be composed of two parts perpendicular to each other. The metal bracket180may be fixedly connected with the housing130to facilitate the connection of the housing130and the metal bracket180with the cylinder body110.

Based on the heating device100according to any one of the above embodiments, the present invention may further provide a refrigerator200.FIG.8is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator200according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIG.8, the refrigerator200may include a cabinet defining at least one storage compartment, at least one cabinet door configured to respectively open and close the at least one storage compartment, and a refrigerating system configured to provide cooling capacity to the at least one storage compartment. The cylinder body of the heating device100may be disposed in one storage compartment.

In the present invention, at least one means one, two, or more than two. The power supply module162of the heating device100may be powered by a main control board of the refrigerator200, and the signal processing part172and the main control board of the refrigerator200may be independent of each other without information interaction.

In an illustrated embodiment, there are two storage compartments, namely a refrigerating compartment221and a freezing compartment222disposed under the refrigerating compartment221. The cylinder body of the heating device100is disposed in the freezing compartment222.

The refrigerating system may include a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator242, a refrigerating fan244for blowing the cooling capacity generated by the evaporator242into the freezing compartment222, and a heat dissipation fan for heat dissipation of the condenser.

The cabinet may include an inner liner220, a shell230and an insulating layer210disposed between the inner liner220and the shell230. The shell230may include two side panels respectively located on two lateral sides of the insulating layer210, bottom steel231located at the bottom of the insulating layer210, and a back plate located at the rear of the insulating layer210.

The refrigerator200further includes a power line (not shown in the figure) for receiving commercial power, so as to supply power to the heating device100and the refrigerating system. The power line may include a grounding wire which is connected with a ground wire of the commercial power and is conductively connected with the bottom steel231, so as to prevent the electric leakage of the refrigerator200.

The bottom steel231defines a compressor chamber2311for placing the compressor. The electromagnetic generating module161may be disposed in the compressor chamber2311, and the top of the electromagnetic generating module is thermally connected with a heat dissipation fin270, so as to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the electromagnetic generating module161.

The cylinder body110may be conductively connected with the bottom steel231through a lead wire252to guide the electric charges thereon to the bottom steel231so as to avoid potential safety hazards A signal transmission wire251and the lead wire252of the signal sensing part171(or the matching unit173) and the signal processing part172may be disposed in the insulating layer210in advance, and pass through the inner liner220and the bottom steel231to reserve a wiring terminal in the compressor chamber2311, so that the signal transmission wire251and the lead wire252may be routed together so as to save the assembly cost.

Hereto, those skilled in the art should realize that although multiple exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, many other variations or modifications that conform to the principles of the present invention may still be directly determined or deduced from the contents disclosed in the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized as covering all these other variations or modifications.