EP2835605A1 - Kühlschrank - Google Patents

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Publication number
EP2835605A1
EP2835605A1 EP13179678.1A EP13179678A EP2835605A1 EP 2835605 A1 EP2835605 A1 EP 2835605A1 EP 13179678 A EP13179678 A EP 13179678A EP 2835605 A1 EP2835605 A1 EP 2835605A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
gas cylinder
refrigerating appliance
appliance according
cylinder seat
seat
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP13179678.1A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Matteo Simioni
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Electrolux Appliances AB
Original Assignee
Electrolux Appliances AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Electrolux Appliances AB filed Critical Electrolux Appliances AB
Priority to EP13179678.1A priority Critical patent/EP2835605A1/de
Priority to PCT/EP2014/066226 priority patent/WO2015018690A1/en
Publication of EP2835605A1 publication Critical patent/EP2835605A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D23/00—General constructional features
    • F25D23/12—Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
    • F25D23/126—Water cooler

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a refrigerating appliance comprising a beverage carbonator.
  • Sparkling water can be easily obtained by adding carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to plain water.
  • CO 2 carbon dioxide
  • Carbonators can be used as stand-alone devices, such as the one describe in GB2190007 , or they can be included in refrigerator appliances, in order to provide sparkling cold water.
  • WO03098136 describes a refrigerator incorporating in its door a water dispenser within a compartment present on the outside of the door.
  • the dispenser is connected to a water container of given capacity carried by the door and provided to enable the contained water to be carbonated via a connection to a cylinder which contains the carbonating gas and is also disposed in the door.
  • the CO 2 gas cylinder is mounted in the appliance in a vertical or quasi vertical orientation. This is required in order to prevent that liquid gas may flow through the distribution components such as pressure reducer devices, valves and connectors that are placed at the cylinder outlet. Only vaporized gas should flow at the cylinder outlet, otherwise liquid gas may enter the distribution components causing a drastic temperature drop while evaporating. This process, also known as lamination, may cause icing of the distribution components that are positioned at the cylinder outlet, during the gas passage.
  • the distribution components such as pressure reducer devices, valves and connectors that are placed at the cylinder outlet. Only vaporized gas should flow at the cylinder outlet, otherwise liquid gas may enter the distribution components causing a drastic temperature drop while evaporating. This process, also known as lamination, may cause icing of the distribution components that are positioned at the cylinder outlet, during the gas passage.
  • icing may cause malfunction of the pressure reducer and other distributing components.
  • US331283 discloses a water carbonator including a gas cylinder which is mounted horizontal within the carbonator casing. It is unknown if and how this carbonator may resolve icing problems in the distribution circuit.
  • the technical problem faced by this invention is to provide a water carbonator and related appliances allowing better placement in reduced height compartments.
  • the cabinet requires a special design to accommodate a CO 2 gas cylinder and the carbonation module is typically dimensioned with a height higher than the length of the gas cylinder, as this is accommodated in a vertical position.
  • the carbonation module is typically dimensioned with a height higher than the length of the gas cylinder, as this is accommodated in a vertical position.
  • Another scope of the invention is to ease mounting of a water carbonator in a refrigerated cabinet such as a domestic refrigerator and the like.
  • a refrigerating appliance including a body in which a refrigerated compartment is defined, a carbonating gas cylinder seat, for receiving a replaceable gas cylinder having a cylinder outlet, being defined in the body, wherein the gas cylinder seat has a longitudinal axis slanted with respect to a vertical axis of an angle lower than the maximum angle preventing liquid gas contained in a filled gas cylinder from reaching the cylinder outlet when the gas cylinder is positioned into the gas cylinder seat.
  • the cylinder seat is willfully inclined to minimize its total height with a maximum slant limit with respect to the vertical axis of the appliance set by the possibility of liquid gas to reach the cylinder outlet when the gas cylinder is housed in the cylinder seat. This inclination limit must be respected with fully filled gas cylinders.
  • the inclination angle is comprised between 10° and 80°.
  • a useful position of the gas cylinder seat is suggested at the corner of a rear wall and a bottom wall of the refrigerated compartment, or between two support members such as shelves or the like, or behind a drawer of the refrigerated compartment.
  • the cylinder seat can be partially or totally encased in the rear wall of the cabinet, thereby minimizing its visual impact and optimizing access to the internal space of the refrigerated cabinet.
  • the gas cylinder seat may be in the form of a slot or recessed area in a rear wall of the cabinet with the proper slant to receive the cylinder in the right inclination with respect to the pressure reducer or the cylinder connection means.
  • a stop member provided in the cylinder seat may prevent the possibility to pull out the cylinder from a wrong side during replacement thereof.
  • the slot shaped cylinder seat is also designed to support the cylinder and guide it into the connection system providing good accessibility during cylinder installation and replacement.
  • the gas cylinder seat is formed as a slot in a thickened portion of a wall of the refrigerated compartment. In this manner, the cylinder seat can be easily manufactured and integrated with the structure of the refrigerated compartment.
  • a refrigerating appliance such as a domestic refrigerator, comprising a water carbonator 1
  • a refrigerating appliance 30 includes a body 31 in which a refrigerated compartment 32 is defined. Further compartments such as a freezer compartment 32' may be included in the same body. According to a preferred embodiment, the water carbonator 1 is included in the refrigerated compartment 32.
  • the refrigerated compartment 32 has top and bottom walls 33, 34 as well as side walls 36, 37 and a rear wall 38.
  • Support members 39, such as shelves, and/or drawers 40 may also be conventional parts of the refrigerating appliance 30.
  • the carbonator 1 includes a pressure reducer device 2, connected via a gas line 3 to a carbonating vessel 4.
  • a gas cylinder or bottle 10 is removably attached to the pressure reducer device 2 in order to feed carbon dioxide gas through the gas line 3, when carbonating water so requires.
  • a main water line 5 feeds plain water, which can be preliminary chilled by the refrigerating appliance, to the carbonating vessel 4 by means of an inlet pump 6.
  • Line 5 can be intercepted by means of an electro valve 7.
  • An outlet line 8 which can be intercepted by means of an electro valve 9 connects the outlet of the carbonating vessel 4 to a delivery spout (not shown) for dispensing carbonated sparkling water to users.
  • the pressure reducer device 2 includes a collar 11 for receiving a gas cylinder outlet 12 and a blocking lever 13 for blocking the gas cylinder 10, together with the pressure reducer device 2, in a gas cylinder seat 14.
  • the liquid carbon dioxide free-resting-surface level in the cylinder 10 is indicated by reference 15 in Figure 5 . It is intended that above the level 15 of the liquid phase the gas cylinder 10 contains carbon dioxide only in vapor phase. Since the level 15 changes when CO 2 is gradually used to carbonate water, a reference level is set with reference to a fully filled cylinder, i.e. a cylinder unused and fully charged with carbon dioxide.
  • the gas cylinder seat 14 is slanted with respect to a vertical direction V (shown in dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 5 ) with an inclination angle a chosen such that the reference level 10 mentioned above is always lower than the gas cylinder outlet 12, as can be seen in Figure 5 .
  • the angle ⁇ between a longitudinal axis 28 of the gas cylinder seat and the vertical axis V is close to but lesser than the maximum angle at which liquid gas contained in a filled cylinder placed into the seat 14 is prevented from reaching the cylinder outlet 12.
  • the vertical axis V corresponds to a longitudinal axis of the refrigerating appliance 30.
  • the maximum inclination of the gas cylinder seat 14 ensuring this safety measure is comprised between 70° and 80°.
  • the angle ⁇ is advantageously comprised between 10° and 80°, more preferably between 20° (to gain more space vertically) and 70° (to guarantee safety for all the most common models of gas cylinder).
  • the gas cylinder seat 14 is defined as a slot in a parallelepiped-like housing body 21.
  • the seat 14 In its lower longitudinal part, where the bottom of the gas cylinder 10 is hosted, the seat 14 is delimited by a back wall 20, a bottom wall 23 (which however does not extend to the lower end of the seat 14) and a top wall 24, while it is open on front.
  • the bottom and the top walls 23, 24 are slanted as axis 28 and are spaced from each other substantially as (more precisely, slightly more than) the diameter of the gas cylinder 10. In this way, the gas cylinder 10 can be at least partially nested within that space.
  • the seat 14 In its upper longitudinal part, where the top of the gas cylinder 10 (provided with the collar 11 and the blocking lever 13) is hosted, the seat 14 is delimited by the back wall 20 and the bottom wall 23, while it is open on front and on top. The open front side facilitates accommodation of the gas cylinder 10.
  • a stop member 25 is formed at the bottom end of the cylinder seat 14 so that the gas cylinder 10 is abutted against it when properly positioned into seat 14. Thus, the bottom of gas cylinder 10 is held by stop member 25 and is prevented from sliding down in the seat 14 or pulled out without releasing the blocking lever 13.
  • the stop member 25 has a side wall 26 extending across the open front side of the slot defined by the gas cylinder seat 14 from top wall 24 toward bottom wall 23. The extension thereof is limited to a fraction of the width of the slot, just enough to prevent the gas cylinder 10 from falling out of the cylinder seat 14 as previously explained.
  • the pressure reducer device 2 is located in the seat 14 opposite the stop member 25 to receive the cylinder outlet 12 when a gas cylinder 10 is properly positioned into the gas cylinder seat 14.
  • the housing body 21 of the water carbonator 1 is positioned adjacent to the bottom wall 34 and adjacent to the rear wall 38 of the refrigerating appliance.
  • the housing body 21 is formed as a single body with the rear wall 34, i.e. the rear wall 38 includes a portion which is shaped as the housing body 21 disclosed above.
  • the gas cylinder seat 14 may be used, such as simply fixing the gas cylinder 10 to the rear wall 38 by means of a latch, shoulder, profiles or combinations thereof provided that the seat is slanted to accommodate the gas cylinder 10 as specified above.
  • the carbonating gas cylinder seat 14 can be located at the rear wall 38 between two spaced apart support members 39, one of which may be the bottom wall 34 or another support member 39, as shown in Figure 2 , or behind a drawer 40 equipping the refrigerating compartment 32, as in Figure 3 .
  • the spacing between the support members 39 may be conveniently reduced compared to the height of an upstanding gas cylinder 10 plus fittings, being limited only by the vertical encumbrance of the cylinder plus fittings which are oriented in a slanted position.
  • the invention offers therefore many advantages compared to water carbonator with an upstanding vertical gas cylinder.
  • One first advantage is the possibility to fit the carbonator device in reduced spaces, thereby offering a large design freedom.
  • Another advantage is the possibility to integrate a water carbonator in a refrigerating compartment using only one single space of the compartment, such as the space between two juxtaposed support members.
  • Another important advantage is that of facilitating appropriate replacement of the gas cylinder in the corresponding seat.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
EP13179678.1A 2013-08-08 2013-08-08 Kühlschrank Withdrawn EP2835605A1 (de)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP13179678.1A EP2835605A1 (de) 2013-08-08 2013-08-08 Kühlschrank
PCT/EP2014/066226 WO2015018690A1 (en) 2013-08-08 2014-07-29 Refrigerating appliance

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP13179678.1A EP2835605A1 (de) 2013-08-08 2013-08-08 Kühlschrank

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2835605A1 true EP2835605A1 (de) 2015-02-11

Family

ID=48949056

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP13179678.1A Withdrawn EP2835605A1 (de) 2013-08-08 2013-08-08 Kühlschrank

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2835605A1 (de)
WO (1) WO2015018690A1 (de)

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US331283A (en) 1885-12-01 Apparatus
US4251473A (en) 1977-07-29 1981-02-17 Sodastream Limited Aerating apparatus
US4422371A (en) 1981-02-24 1983-12-27 Thorn Emi Domestic Electrical Appliances Limited Aerated drinks machine
US4646797A (en) 1984-08-22 1987-03-03 The Coca-Cola Company System for the pluggable flanging of a pressure vessel onto a gas-withdrawal unit
GB2190007A (en) 1986-05-07 1987-11-11 Sodastream Ltd Liquid aerating apparatus with safety valve
WO2003098136A1 (en) 2002-05-16 2003-11-27 Whirlpool Corporation Refrigerator with carbonated water distributor
WO2007007144A1 (en) * 2005-07-11 2007-01-18 Antonio Merloni S.P.A. Refrigerator for food storage, preferably for household use
DE102011006246A1 (de) * 2011-03-28 2012-10-04 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Haushaltskältegerät

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US331283A (en) 1885-12-01 Apparatus
US4251473A (en) 1977-07-29 1981-02-17 Sodastream Limited Aerating apparatus
US4422371A (en) 1981-02-24 1983-12-27 Thorn Emi Domestic Electrical Appliances Limited Aerated drinks machine
US4646797A (en) 1984-08-22 1987-03-03 The Coca-Cola Company System for the pluggable flanging of a pressure vessel onto a gas-withdrawal unit
GB2190007A (en) 1986-05-07 1987-11-11 Sodastream Ltd Liquid aerating apparatus with safety valve
WO2003098136A1 (en) 2002-05-16 2003-11-27 Whirlpool Corporation Refrigerator with carbonated water distributor
WO2007007144A1 (en) * 2005-07-11 2007-01-18 Antonio Merloni S.P.A. Refrigerator for food storage, preferably for household use
DE102011006246A1 (de) * 2011-03-28 2012-10-04 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Haushaltskältegerät

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2015018690A1 (en) 2015-02-12

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