AU2008100599B4 - Ventilation of undersink chillers - Google Patents

Description

INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION Peter R. Norton-Baker Pty Ltd VENTILATION OF UNDERSINK CHILLERS

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DATE FILED: P:\CommonWord97\25501-26000\25736pet\20080627 NewinnovApplic.doc 1 00oo O VENTILATION OF UNDERSINK CHILLERS.

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the ventilation of undersink chillers.

00 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Up until the early to mid 1990's chilled water for drinking was provided using water bubblers. Bubblers were usually free-standing or wall-mounted.

A compressor within the water bubbler would generate heat during the water chilling process. This heat needs to be removed from around the compressor in order to maintain the efficiency of the chilling process. With more efficient removal of heat, the compressor would chill the water over a shorter period of time. Shorter compressor running time would mean less power consumption, less maintenance requirements, and a longer serviceable life for the compressor.

For the above reasons, water bubblers were designed and positioned in order to obtain the optimal air flow for the convection cooling of the compressor. An associated cooling fan was used to increase the air flow around the compressor.

2 00 O From the mid-1990s, free-standing water bubblers were gradually replaced by Splumbed-in chillers which were installed under sinks, often with an associated water filter. Simultaneously, wall-mounted boiling drinking water units were being replaced with undersink hot-water systems which incorporated a sinkmounted dispensing tap.

00 Both undersink drinking water appliances, boiling and chilled, were later 0integrated such that both hot and cold water could be dispensed from a single dual-dispenser tap mounted over the sink. Thus, a typical sink now often includes a dual-dispenser tap, in addition to the regular tap(s).

In summary, wall-mounted boilers and free-standing bubblers migrated to an undersink position, and a single dual-dispenser tap was mounted over the sink in order to dispense both hot and cold water.

The present invention relates to the ventilation of undersink chillers, and the presence of an undersink boiler is not necessarily required in the exercise of the present invention. However, in many instances, an undersink boiler will also be present. A boiler so located may also add to the heat build up within the cupboard.

In the prior art, cupboard door vents were installed in association with undersink chillers in order to assist the convection air flow for compressor cooling. A lower cupboard door vent allows for relatively cool air to enter the cupboard and 00 an upper cupboard door vent allows the relatively hot air to exit. A fan may be installed to assist these convection air flows.

Architects and kitchen designers are concerned about the aesthetics of the cupboard door which incorporated these upper and lower cupboard door vents.

OOne solution to avoiding these unsightly air vents was to use water rather than 00 air to cool the compressor. Water-cooled chillers meant that there was no need Sto vent the cupboard doors. However, this also meant that cooling water would run to drain and be wasted. Whilst water cooled chillers provided the advantage of requiring no ventilation, precious water was being used and put to drain as a result. Water wastage is becoming unacceptable from an environmental and cost point of view.

Designers who preferred air-cooled chillers, and air-cooled chiller manufacturers, accordingly have needed to devise alternative methods of venting the cupboards without resorting to installing unsightly upper and lower vents in the cupboard doors.

These methods included: claiming incorrectly that vents were not required; offsetting the cupboard doors from the cupboards with spacers, thus providing a gap between the door and the cupboard in order to allow air to pass behind the bottom of the door and hot air to exit at the top rear of the door; 4 00 cutting scallops in the cupboard floor toe plate, above the cupboard kick panel, to allow air to enter the cupboard as an alternative to the lower cupboard door vent; Scutting slots in a panel at the top of the cupboard door in order to vent hot air out of the cupboard; 0 cutting slots at the top of cupboard side walls to vent air into adjacent 00oo cupboards, sides of cupboards or dishwasher cavities; installing vent/s in the kick panel, with associated vents or holes in the cupboard floor, to allow relatively cool air to enter the cupboard via the kick panel and kick cavity.

Despite the various above-mentioned efforts to avoid unsightly cupboard door vents, cupboard door vents have generally continued to be recommended as the preferred method of ventilation of air-cooled undersink chillers. If required, supplementary fans have also been supplied to increase the convection air flow.

Fans have been installed behind the upper cupboard door vent in order to draw relatively hot air from inside the cupboard. Fans have also been installed in the lower door vent in order to draw relatively cool air into the cupboard.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention provides an undersink chiller ventilation system and method according to the following claims. The present invention may also 00oo o reside in a kit of parts for the retrofitting of existing installations. Preferred Sfeatures of the invention will be apparent from the dependant claims and from the following description of the preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 00oo The invention will now be described in a non-limiting manner with respect to a Spreferred embodiment in which:- FIG 1 is a cutaway perspective view of a pair of neighbouring cupboards; FIG 2 is the cupboards of FIG 1 with multiple fans and associated conduits installed; and FIG 3 is an exploded schematic view of an exemplary fan and associated conduit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The FIGS and following description illustrate and describe the presently preferred manner of implementing the invention, and should not be treated as limiting the scope of the claimed monopoly in any way.

The present invention provides a system and method of removing relatively hot air from a cupboard in order to improve the chilling efficiency of an undersink 6 00 chiller. The present invention can also be supplied in the form of a retrofit kit.

The undersink chiller itself is not illustrated in the FIGS and does not form part of the invention. Similarly, whilst an undersink boiler may often be present, it does not form part of the invention.

OWith reference firstly to FIG 1, there is illustrated a cutaway view of a cupboard 00 assembly 10 comprised of right-hand cupboard 12 and left-hand cupboard 14.

As will be discussed below, the undersink chiller may be mounted in the righthand cupboard 12 or, less commonly, in the left-hand cupboard 14.

The cupboard assembly 10 has a rear wall 16, an external side wall 18, an internal side wall 20 (which in the FIGS is represented as being transparent for convenience, and which separates the individual cupboards 12 and 14), and a cupboard floor 22.

As would be well understood by the skilled person, the cupboard assembly would, in use, have a bench top (not illustrated) mounted on top of the rear wall 16, and side walls 18 and 20. Additionally, the cupboard assembly 10 would, in use, have doors (not illustrated) fitted to the front of the individual cupboards 12 and 14, typically via hinges mounted to the side walls 18 and The front edge of cupboard floor 22 includes a scallop 24 which facilitates the entry of relatively cool air into right-hand-cupboard 12 by virtue of the fact that a scallop-shaped gap is defined between the door on the right-hand cupboard 12 and the cupboard floor 22.

00 (Ni SThe cupboard assembly 10 includes a kick panel 26 which includes kick vent 28. In the preferred embodiment, the kick vent 28 is a prefabricated 300mm x metal unit which is mounted into a cut out which is 280mm x 65mm in size.

00oO A kick cavity 30 is defined behind kick panel 26 and underneath cupboard floor S22.

Exit holes 32, which in the preferred embodiment have a diameter of have been drilled or cut into the cupboard floor 22 in the right hand cupboard 12.

Optional entry holes 34 have been drilled or cut into the internal side wall which separates the right-hand cupboard 12 from the left-hand cupboard 14.

These optional entry holes 34 are utilised in a situation where it is desired to increase the entry of relatively cool air into right cupboard 12, or where the undersink chiller is actually located in the left-hand cupboard 14 and it is desired to transfer the relatively hot air from the left-hand cupboard 14 to the right-hand cupboard 12, from whence the relatively hot air is then discharged to the exterior of the cupboard assembly 10 as will be described in more detail below.

In the former scenario, the entry holes 34 are preferably located at a relatively low location in the interior side wall 20, and in the latter scenario the entry holes 34 are preferably located at a relatively high location in the interior side wall.

8 o00 O Referring to FIG 2, the cupboard assembly 10 of FIG 1 is illustrated with three Sfan assemblies 36 in place. Three fan assemblies (and associated exit holes 32) are illustrated simply to show some of the various options for the location of the fan assemblies 36.

In a typical installation, there will only be a single fan assembly 36 and exit hole o00 32. The positioning of the fan assembly 36 is at the discretion of the installer, Sbased upon the location of other appliances, plumbing, fixtures and fittings. The fan will usually be positioned in the upper part of the cupboard and attached to the cupboard wall by a bracket.

Referring to FIG 3, there is illustrated an exploded schematic of fan assembly 36. As can be seen, the fan 38 is mounted to either the back wall 16 or one of side walls 18 and 20 via bracket 40. The fan may be, for example, an AC Centrifugal Blower Model MB840_D). The fan will switch on and off in unison with the chiller compressor such that relatively hot air is extracted from the cupboard 12 whenever the compressor is in operation.

The downstream side of the fan is sealably connected to flexible hose 42 which in the preferred embodiment has a 76mm internal diameter. The downstream end of flexible hose 42 is sealably connected to a 65 mm inside diameter flange 44 which, in turn is sealably mounted over the 75mm exit hole 32 in the cupboard floor 22. Sealing may be achieved by Silastic product or by any suitable liquid or solid gasket material. Of course, the flexible hose 42 may be replaced with a rigid pipe or similar.

00 The direction of the flow of air is illustrated by arrows in FIG 2. As can be seen, relatively cool air enters right-hand cupboard 12 via scallop 24 and/or entry holes 34. Relatively cool air may also enter via other means such as the gap between the cupboard door and the cupboard floor 22 or side walls 18 and Oor even via a lower vent provided in the cupboard door (although this is less 00 preferred for the aesthetic reasons already discussed).

Air which enters the right-hand cupboard is heated and thereafter extracted from the cupboard by fan 38 which blows the air to the exterior of the cupboard assembly 10 via flexible hose 42, kick cavity 30 and kick vent 28. As will be appreciated by the skilled person, venting of relatively hot air usually occurs at a high point as a result of the fact that hot air rises. It is counterintuitive to vent hot air at a low point, such as through the kick cavity.

Typically, the chiller will be located immediately behind the scallop 24, although the location of the scallop and chiller are at the discretion of the designer or installer.

In the embodiment briefly mentioned above, where the undersink chiller is actually located in the left-hand cupboard 14, then the relatively cool air enters left-hand cupboard 14 via scallop or the like in the left-hand cupboard 14, is heated, is then transferred to the right-hand cupboard via entry holes 34, and is then extracted from the right hand cupboard 12 by the fan 38 and blown to the exterior via flexible hose 42, kick cavity 30 and kick vent 28.

00 Advantages of the present invention include: No need to further vent the cupboard doors; C 5 Aesthetics of the kitchen is maintained; SKick panel vent is less obtrusive and optional colour powder coating to oo match the kick panel is available; Compressor runs over shorter periods; Less electrical power requirements means less greenhouse gasses; Compressor recovers the chilled water temperature more efficiently; Cross flow ventilation is achieved; Less maintenance is required; therefore less service calls, less fossil fuel consumption, less parts manufactured and less wear and tear on buildings; Chiller has a longer serviceable life; Fan assists in drawing cool air into the cupboard; Hot air from inside the cupboard mixes and is tempered by cool air under the cupboard, hence reducing the load on any air conditioning system; No water runs to drain; Fan noise is more isolated within the cupboard, hence noise is reduced, when compared to other methods.

The foregoing has been given by way of example only of the presently preferred manner of performing the present invention. It will be appreciated that the term "undersink chiller" does not necessarily imply that the chiller is directly under the 11 00 0 sink and it may, course, be offset relative to the sink.

00 rOO

Claims (4)

1. A method of ventilating an undersink chiller, the method comprising: employing an extraction fan located within a cupboard to extract air from the cupboard, wherein the downstream side of the extraction fan is ducted to a kick cavity under the cupboard such that air which is extracted from the 00 cupboard is transferred to the kick cavity.

2. A method of ventilating an undersink chiller as claimed in claim 1, wherein a kick vent is provided in a kick panel such that the extracted air is vented from the kick cavity via the kick vent.

3. An undersink chiller ventilation system comprising: an extraction fan located in a cupboard; and a duct extending between the downstream side of the extraction fan and a kick cavity under the cupboard.

4. An undersink chiller ventilation system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a kick vent is provided in a kick panel. An undersink chiller ventilation system as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the duct is a flexible hose, and wherein the downstream end of the duct is sealably mounted to a flange which, in turn, is sealably mounted over a hole in a floor of the cupboard.