EP3040659A1 - Dispositif de réfrigération - Google Patents

Dispositif de réfrigération Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3040659A1
EP3040659A1 EP15201255.5A EP15201255A EP3040659A1 EP 3040659 A1 EP3040659 A1 EP 3040659A1 EP 15201255 A EP15201255 A EP 15201255A EP 3040659 A1 EP3040659 A1 EP 3040659A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cooling means
refrigerator compartment
compartment
air
flow reduction
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Withdrawn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
EP15201255.5A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Giorgio Sabatini
Luca CORBO
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.)
Whirlpool EMEA SpA
Original Assignee
Indesit Co SpA
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 Indesit Co SpA filed Critical Indesit Co SpA
Publication of EP3040659A1 publication Critical patent/EP3040659A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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
    • F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
    • F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
    • F25D17/042—Air treating means within refrigerated spaces
    • F25D17/045—Air flow control arrangements
    • 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
    • F25D2317/00—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • F25D2317/06—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation
    • F25D2317/066—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation characterised by the air supply
    • F25D2317/0666—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation characterised by the air supply from the freezer

Definitions

  • the present invention concerns a household appliance for food refrigeration, in particular a refrigerator-freezer.
  • refrigerator-freezer we mean a combined device featuring a refrigerator and a freezer compartment.
  • Refrigerator-freezers that include air cooling means are commonly available on the market. The cooled air is distributed to a freezer and a refrigerator.
  • the refrigerator compartment features a delivery line and a return line.
  • An air-flow reduction valve may be installed along this delivery line (electrically controlled by its own motor and referred to in the industry as a "damper"), as well as a membrane hinged on one end that acts as a check valve.
  • the rear wall of the freezer compartment usually features a set of passages. Normally there are no shut-off valves that allow to obstruct these passages.
  • the refrigerator and freezer compartments feature two temperature probes that ensure that additional cool air is supplied to the freezer compartment and even the refrigerator compartment, when necessary.
  • a drawback of this construction solution is tied to the presence (and thus the higher costs) of a damper, as well as two temperature probes, one for the refrigerator and one for the freezer compartment. Moreover, these components over time could get damaged, thus compromising proper operation of the refrigerator.
  • the technical objective underpinning the present invention is to provide a food refrigeration household appliance that requires a lower number of components. This allows a reduction of the costs of construction and even maintenance of the appliance.
  • reference number 1 indicates a household appliance for the refrigeration of food products.
  • This household appliance 1 is a refrigerator-freezer. It thus includes a refrigerator compartment 2. It also includes a freezer compartment 3.
  • the temperature of refrigerator compartment 2 ranges between about 0°C and 10°C.
  • the temperature of freezer compartment 3 is roughly below -15°C.
  • refrigerator compartment 2 is positioned atop freezer compartment 3. In an alternative embodiment not illustrated herein and not preferred, refrigerator compartment 2 is positioned below freezer compartment 3. Compartments 2 and 3 are conveniently arranged one on top of the other.
  • the household appliance 1 is of a "no frost" type (which implies characteristics that are well-known in the technical field and therefore there is no need to provide additional explanations about this definition).
  • the household appliance 1 includes cooling means 4 in fluid communication with the freezer compartment 3 and with the refrigerator compartment 2.
  • These cooling means 4 can include a refrigerant circuit in which an operative fluid circulates which is used to cool down the air addressed to the refrigerator compartment 2 and freezer compartment 3.
  • the refrigerant circuit may include an evaporator (which subtracts heat from the air to be sent to refrigerator compartment 2 and freezer compartment 3), a capacitor (which exchanges the heat subtracted from the evaporator air with the external environment), a throttling element and a compressor driven by an electric motor.
  • the household appliance 1 includes a flow (flow rate) reduction valve 5 for an air flow flowing between the refrigerator compartment 2 and the cooling means 4, for regulating the cooling of the refrigerator compartment 2.
  • the flow reduction valve 5 can be manually activated by a user. This operation is conveniently carried out from inside refrigerator compartment 2. The reduction valve 5 is thus accessible from inside refrigerator compartment 2.
  • valve 5 can be mechanically operated directly by the user.
  • the operation of this valve 5 conveniently does not require the aid of tools such as wrenches, screwdrivers, etc.
  • the household appliance 1 includes a conduit 61 for conveying the refrigerated air coming from the cooling means 4 and directed to the refrigerator compartment 2.
  • the conveying conduit 61 usually branches out in a gap 20 that develops between the top and bottom of the refrigerator compartment 2, and allows distribution of the cooled air at different heights within compartment 2.
  • This gap 20 is usually featured in the rear wall 21 of the refrigerator compartment 2.
  • Rear wall 21 is opposite to a hatch door 22 of compartment 2, when the hatch door is shut.
  • the household appliance 1 also includes a return conduit 62 for the air coming from the refrigerator compartment 2 and directed to the cooling means 4. This conduit 62 conveniently develops from the refrigerator compartment 2.
  • flow reduction valve 5 is associated to said air return conduit 62.
  • valve 5 is installed at an inlet mouth 620 of return conduit 62. In this way, it is easily accessible by the user. Conveniently, the mouth 620 of return conduit 62 is directly accessible from refrigerator compartment 2 (and is not hidden behind wall cavities or elements that prevent access to it). Although associated to return conduit 62, it nonetheless reduces flow of the air that is responsible for cooling compartment 2. In fact, a reduction of valve 5 increases the load losses along a circuit that connects cooling means 4 and compartment 2, and therefore reduces the air flow rate in the circuit (the circuit includes the two conduits 61 and 62). This results in a reduction of the flow rate along conduit 61 conveying refrigerated air from cooling means 4 and directed towards refrigerator compartment 2, and therefore a lower cooling of refrigerator compartment 2.
  • shut-off valves to control air flowing in conduit 61 are absent.
  • FIG. 2 A preferred construction solution for the reduction valve 5 is illustrated in Figure 2 . It includes a plurality of openings 54.
  • Reduction valve 5 includes a mobile shutter (hidden in Figure 2 ), which can clog part of these openings 54.
  • the mobile shutter is integrally movable with a handle 510 accessible by the user from refrigerator compartment 2.
  • This handle 510 is mobile in a loop 511 and a movement of handle 510 inside loop 511 corresponds to a movement of the shutter (and therefore a variation of the degree of reduction operated by valve 5).
  • said valve 5 is still crossed by air.
  • opening 54 on the right side of handle 510 cannot be obstructed by the shutter, which instead can obstruct the three openings 54 on the left side of handle 510.
  • the mobile shutter includes an element that slides cross-wise in direction of the air inlet on the air return conduit 62.
  • Reduction valve 5 included a fixed grille 53.
  • Grille 53 defines the openings 54 described above, framing them.
  • the sliding element at least partially overlaps part of grille 53 that contributes to framing openings 54 (i.e. it overlaps on at least part of the fixed elements of the grille that obstruct the passage).
  • the household appliance 1 includes a temperature probe 7 that is sensitive to the temperature of refrigerator compartment 2 and that controls cooling means 4, and/or a fan 8 that circulates the cooled air from cooling means 4.
  • Temperature probe 7 is installed near or at any rate close to refrigerator compartment 2. When this probe 7 detects an increase in the temperature above the pre-set value, it activates the cooling means 4 and/or fan 8.
  • a greater reduction of the reduction valve 5 determining a lower flow rate of refrigerated air to the refrigerator compartment 2 and thus greater cooling of the freezer compartment 3.
  • cooling means 4 and/or of said fan 8 is substantially insensitive to the temperature of the freezer compartment 3. No temperature probes activated by cooling means 4 and/or fan 8 are installed inside freezer compartment 3.
  • cooling means 4 are installed on the back of freezer compartment 3.
  • One or more passages 9 on rear wall 90 of freezer compartment 3 allow fluid communication between the cooling means 4 and the freezer compartment 3. There are no air shut-off valves to control air flow through openings 9.
  • the refrigerator-freezer can temporarily concentrate its action on freezer compartment 3. This minimises the risk that food at room temperature introduced in freezer compartment 3 can defrost other foods with which it comes into contact.
  • the present invention also provides important advantages.

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)
  • Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
  • Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
EP15201255.5A 2014-12-30 2015-12-18 Dispositif de réfrigération Withdrawn EP3040659A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITPR20140110 2014-12-30

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3040659A1 true EP3040659A1 (fr) 2016-07-06

Family

ID=52633470

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP15201255.5A Withdrawn EP3040659A1 (fr) 2014-12-30 2015-12-18 Dispositif de réfrigération

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP3040659A1 (fr)
RU (1) RU2015155463A (fr)

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS6217771U (fr) * 1985-07-16 1987-02-02
US5092137A (en) * 1991-05-16 1992-03-03 Amana Refrigeration, Inc. Refrigerator cold air duct apparatus
JPH10103845A (ja) * 1996-09-30 1998-04-24 Sanyo Electric Co Ltd 貯蔵庫のダクト装置
JP2004301417A (ja) * 2003-03-31 2004-10-28 Ryoji Kuroda 冷蔵庫
DE69826362T2 (de) * 1997-05-15 2005-09-29 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Suwon Kühlschrank
US20080196441A1 (en) * 2005-07-12 2008-08-21 Luiz Afranio Alves Ferreira Air Blowing Arrangement For a Combined Refrigerator
WO2009072773A2 (fr) * 2007-12-07 2009-06-11 Lg Electronics Inc. Réfrigérateur
EP2090854A2 (fr) * 2008-02-15 2009-08-19 Indesit Company S.P.A. Dispositif électrique pour refroidir et stocker les aliments

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS6217771U (fr) * 1985-07-16 1987-02-02
US5092137A (en) * 1991-05-16 1992-03-03 Amana Refrigeration, Inc. Refrigerator cold air duct apparatus
JPH10103845A (ja) * 1996-09-30 1998-04-24 Sanyo Electric Co Ltd 貯蔵庫のダクト装置
DE69826362T2 (de) * 1997-05-15 2005-09-29 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Suwon Kühlschrank
JP2004301417A (ja) * 2003-03-31 2004-10-28 Ryoji Kuroda 冷蔵庫
US20080196441A1 (en) * 2005-07-12 2008-08-21 Luiz Afranio Alves Ferreira Air Blowing Arrangement For a Combined Refrigerator
WO2009072773A2 (fr) * 2007-12-07 2009-06-11 Lg Electronics Inc. Réfrigérateur
EP2090854A2 (fr) * 2008-02-15 2009-08-19 Indesit Company S.P.A. Dispositif électrique pour refroidir et stocker les aliments

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
RU2015155463A (ru) 2017-06-27

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