WO2005100889A1

WO2005100889A1 - Fixation element for an evaporator

Info

Publication number: WO2005100889A1
Application number: PCT/BR2005/000054
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claiton Emílio do AMARAL; José Alberto Corrêa SALLES; Guilherme Klitzke Giesbrecht; Edson Luiz Izui; Jaime King Chin; Tadeu Vicente Bonassa; Alexandre Malezzan Fleig
Original assignee: Multibrás S.A. Eletrodomésticos
Priority date: 2004-04-14
Filing date: 2005-04-13
Publication date: 2005-10-27
Also published as: BRPI0401588A; AR048866A1

Abstract

A fixation element for an evaporator presenting a body (30) in a resiliently deformable material, and comprising: a basic portion (31) to be introduced through a through bore (1a) provided in the internal box (1) of a refrigeration appliance and incorporating, in each of the two ends axially spaced apart, at least one flange portion (32, 33) seating against an adjacent face of the internal box (1) in order to radially and axially retain the body (30) of the fixation element to the internal box (1); and a complementary portion (34) axially projecting from the basic portion (31) through a through bore (11) provided in the evaporating plate (10), and incorporating at least one flange portion (35) axially spaced from the adjacent flange portion (33) of the basic portion (31) and seating against an adjacent face of the evaporating plate (10) so as to seat an opposite face of the latter against the adjacent flange portion (33) of the basic plate (31).

Description

FIXATION ELEMENT FOR AN EVAPORATOR Field of the Invention The present innovation refers to a fixation element for an evaporator of the type which comprises an evaporating plate affixed to an internal box of the cabinet of a refrigerator or freezer. Prior Art In the refrigerators and freezers presenting compartments with a visible evaporator, the latter is usually affixed to the internal box of the cabinet of the refrigeration appliance through bolts or plastic parts. In order to automatically remove the ice formed in the evaporator, the latter must reach temperatures above zero. The thermal oscillation in the evaporator during a defrost process is from about -24°C to at least 4°C. This thermal oscillation of about -30°C provokes variations in the evaporator dimensions. Due to the concept that the evaporating plate must be fixedly secured to the internal box, the tensions resulting from the accomodation process of the assembly to the dimensional variations of the evaporator cause the occurrence of noises . While being considered as a technically normal phenomenon, such noises are unpleasant to the consumer and generate the suspicion that something is wrong in the refrigerator. This inconvenience particularly occurs in the refrigeration appliances that frequently carry out automatic defrosts of the plate, such as the two-door appliances with a visible evaporator in the refrigerating compartment. Some products further have a metallic plate (or front plate) covering the evaporator, so as to improve the internal aesthetic of

' the appliance and to help removing the excess humidity ^■from its interior, operating as an additional cold surface to provide condensation of water. In this case, the disadvantage is emphasized by the provision of an additional plate, which can generate noise due to thermal contraction/expansion. Objects of the Invention By reason of the disadvantages mentioned above, it is a generic object of the present invention to provide a fixation element for an evaporator which can absorb the dimensional variations of the evaporating plate, in order to minimize the negative effects caused by thermal variation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fixation element such, as mentioned above, which can minimize the effects of thermal expansion of the front plate which can provoke noise. An additional object of the present is to provide a fixation element such as mentioned above, which is resistant and can be easily mounted to the parts of internal box, evaporating plate and front plate. Summary of the Invention In order to comply with the objects above, the invention proposes a fixation element for an evaporator of the type which comprises an evaporating plate to be internally affixed to the internal box of a refrigerator or freezer of a refrigeration appliance, said element presenting a body in a resiliently deformable material and comprising: a basic portion to be tightly introduced through a through bore provided in the internal box of the refrigeration appliance and incorporating, in each one of two ends axially spaced apart, at least one flange portion projecting laterally outwardly from the basic portion and seating against an adjacent face of the internal box around the through bore, in order to radially and axially .retain the fixation element to the internal box; and a complementary portion axially projecting from the basic portion to the interior of the internal box and through a through bore provided in the evaporating plate, and incorporating at least one flange portion projecting laterally outwardly from the complementary portion, axially spaced from the adjacent flange portion of the basic portion and seating against an adjacent face of the evaporating plate so as to seat an opposite face of the latter against the adjacent flange portion of the basic plate.

The construction described above allows the fixation elements to be easily fitted and retained in the respective through bores of the internal box of the refrigeration appliance before the injection of the thermal insulator.

After assembling the cabinet, by joining the internal and external boxes, the fixation elements will be positioned for receiving and retaining the evaporating plate and eventually the front plate to be fitted in the complementary portion and retained therein by respective flange portions. The construction of fixation elements in resiliently deformable material, preferably rubber, allows the deformation thereof to accompany the dimensional variations of both the evaporating plate and the front plate. Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will be described below, with reference to the enclosed drawings given by way of example of an embodiment of the invention and in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a partially cut internal box of the refrigeration appliance, of the evaporating and front plates and of the evaporator fixation element of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates, schematically, a longitudinal sectional view of part of a the refrigeration appliance, showing its internal and external boxes, the evaporating and front plates and the evaporator fixation element of the present invention already in the mounted condition;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the present evaporator fixation element; and

Figure 4 is an elevational lateral view of the evaporator fixation element of the present invention. Detailed Disclosure of the Invention

As illustrated in the appended drawings and as mentioned above, the present invention is applied to refrigeration appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers, whose cabinet is formed by an internal box 1, generally in injected plastic material, and a generally metallic external box 2, said internal box 1 and external box 2 being affixed to each other by an intermediary thermal insulator 3, such as polyurethane foam, which is injected between said internal box 1 and external 2 box during the formation of the cabinet of the refrigerat on appliance.

As mentioned above, the invention relates to a fixation element to be used for providing the fixation of an evaporating plate 10, and eventually of a front plate 20 inside the refrigeration appliance, more specifically inside one of its refrigerating compartments, by securing said evaporating plate 10 and front plate 20 directly to the internal box 1 of the cabinet of the refrigeration appliance. In accordance with the present invention, the fixation of said evaporating plate 10 and front plate 20 (when existent) is accomplished through fixation elements, generally in the number of four, previously affixed to the internal box 1 and which are configured to position and retain, inside said internal box 1, said evaporating plate 10 and front plate 20 (if existent) . Each fixation element, according to the present invention, comprises a body 30 made of a resiliently deformable material, preferably an elastomeric material such as rubber, usually formed in a single piece and comprising a basic portion 31 which is dimensioned to be tightly introduced through a through bore la proΛ/ided in the internal box 1 of the refrigeration appliance, said basic portion 31 incorporating, in each one of two ends axially spaced from each other, at least one flange portion 32, 33 projecting laterally outwardly from the basic portion 31 and seating against an adjacent face of the internal box 1 around the through bore la, in order to radially and axially retain the body 30 of the fixation element to the internal box 1.

In the illustrated construction, the body 30 has a conical shape and is at least partially hollow, with the larger base being axially opened and with the end or vertex being closed.

Still in accordance with the illustrated construction, the basic po- ion 31 incorporates a continuous flange portion 32 extending around the peripheral contour of the through bore la of the internal box 1, so as to be seated against the face of the internal box 1 turned to the external box 2. Considering that the contour of the basic portion 31 is preferably coincident with the contour of the through bore la of the internal box 1, and also the fact that the flange portion 32 is continuous and. seated against the face of the internal box 1 turned to the external box 2, the basic portion 31 of the body operates as a sealing plug for the respective through bore la, avoiding the thermal insulator 3, on being injected, from flowing to the interior of the cabinet through the through bores la of the internal box 1. The thermal insulator occupies the hollow interior of the body 30 and is seated on the flange portion 32 turned to the external box 2, guaranteeing the body 30 to be solidly secured to the internal box after the formation of the cabinet of the refrigeration appliance.

The othe-tr end of the basic portion 31 of the body 30 incorporates at least one respective flange portion 33, which in the illustrated configuration also takes the form of a single flange surrounding the basic portion 31 and axially spaced from the other flange portion 32, so that it may be relatively tightly seated against the portion of the face of the internal box 1 turned to the inside of the cabinet and which surrounds the through bore la, and through which said basic portion 31 of the body 30 is tightly fitted. Thus, during the formation process of the cabinet, the body 30 is fitted inside a respective through bore la of the internal box 1 in order to have the flange portions 32 and 33 of the basic portion 31 seated on opposite faces of the internal box 1, guaranteeing a secure retention of each element before the injection of the thermal insulator 3 for the formation of the cabinet of the refrigeration appliance. As already mentioned, after the injection of the thermal insulator; 3, the fixation elements are definitely solidly fixed in their operational positions. The body 30 further comprises, preferably in a single piece, a complementary portion 34, axially projecting from the basic portion 31 to the interior of the internal box 1 and through a respective through bore 11 provided in the evaporating plate 10, and incorporating at least one flange portion 35 laterally outwardly projecting from the complementary portion 34, this flange portion 35 being axially spaced from the adjacent flange portion 33 of the basic portion 31 to be seated against an adjacent face of the evapo--rating plate 10, so as to seat an opposite face of the latter against the adjacent flange portion 33 of the basic portion 31, as better illustrated in figure 2.

In the illustrated configuration, the flange portion 35 of the complementary portion 34 is preferably continuous and extended around the body 30 in the region where it is provided.

As it can be noted from figures 1-4, the body 30 preferably presents a conical shape so that the axial projection of the peripheral contour of the complementary portion 34 is inscribed in the peripheral contour of the basic portion 31, facilitating not only the introduction of the body 30 through the internal box 1, but also afterwards, the fitting of the evaporating plate 10 between the flange portions 33 and 35. As a function of the conical shape of the body 30, the basic portion 31 and the complementary portion 34 present similar cross sections, the complementary portion 34 being a natural continuation of the basic portion 31 in the development of the conical surface of the body 30. It should be understood, however, that the body 30 could present other configurations different from that illustrated herein, not being absolutely fundamental the provision of a conical shape or a circular cross section for the different portions of the body 30. The body 30 can be constructed such as described above or also incorporate in its complementary portion 34 at least another flange portion 36 laterally outwardly projecting from the complementary portion 34 so as to be seated against an adjacent face of a front plate 20 and seat an opposite face of the latter against the adjacent flange portion 35 of the complementary portion 34 which is seated against the evaporating plate 10.

In this construction, the complementary portion 34 is also usually tightly introduced through a respective through bore 21 of the front plate 20.

The body 30 can be constructed so as to retain only the evaporating plate 10, or constructed with all the flange portions that are necessary to secure the body itself to the internal box 1 and the evaporating plate 10 and front plate 20 to the body 30, independently of the presence of the front plate 20. Since the construction of the body is standardized, as illustrated in the appended drawings, in the case the front plate 20 is not provided, the complementary portion 34 will be somewhat oversized and projecting forwards of the evaporating plate 10.

In the preferred illustrated construction, the flange portions 32, 33 and 35, 36 of the basic portion 31 and of the complementary portion 34 are disposed in planes which are parallel to each other and orthogonal to the axis of the body 30.

The vertex or inner end of the body 30 may incorporate a finishing element in the form of a rounded widened portion 37 also in a single piece with the remainder of the body 30.

While only one preferred form of carrying out the invention has been illustrated herein, it should be understood that changes in the form and in the relative arrangement of the component parts could be made without departing from the constructive concept defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fixation element for an evaporator of the type which comprises an evaporating plate (10) to be internally affixed to the internal box (1) of a refrigeration appliance, such as a refrigerator or freezer, characterized in that it presents a body (30) in a resiliently deformable material and comprising: a basic portion (31) to be tightly introduced through a through bore (la) provided in the internal box (1) of the refrigeration appliance and incorporating, in each of the two ends axially spaced apart, at least one flange portion (32, 33) projecting laterally outwardly from the basic portion (31) and seating against an adjacent face of the internal box (1) around the through bore (la) in order to radially and axially retain the body (30) of the fixation element to the internal box (1) ; and a complementary portion (34) axially projecting from the basic portion (31) to the interior of the internal box (1) and through a through bore (11) provided in the evaporating plate (10) , and incorporating at least one flange portion (35) laterally outwardly projecting from the complementary portion (34) axially spaced from the adjacent flange portion (33) of the basic portion (31) and seating against an adjacent face of the evaporating plate (10) , so as to seat an opposite face of the latter against the adjacent flange portion (33) of the basic plate (31) .

2. The fixation element as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the flange portions (32, 33) of the basic portion (31) is continuous, extending around the contour of the body (30) .

3. The fixation element as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the flange portion (35) of the complementary portion (34) is continuous and extends around the contour of the body (30) .

4. The fixation element as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the axial portion of the peripheral contour of the complementary portion (34) is inserted in the peripheral contour of the basic portion (31) .

5. The fixation element as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the basic portion (31) and the complementary portion (34) present similar cross sections .

6. The fixation element as set forth in claim 5, characterized in that the basic portion (31) and the complementary portion (34) impart a conical shape to the body (30) of the fixation element.

7. The fixation element as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the body (30) is partially hollow and axially opened in its basic portion (31) .

8. The fixation element as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the complementary portion (34) further incorporates at least another flange portion (36) laterally outwardly projecting from the complementary portion (34) , seating against an adjacent face of a front plate (20) so as to seat an opposite face of the latter against the adjacent flange portion (35) of the complementary portion (34) seated against the evaporating plate (10) when said complementary portion (34) is introduced through a respective through bore (21) of the front plate (20) .

9. The fixation element as set forth in claim 8, characterized in that the flange portions (31, 32, 35, 36) of the basic portion (31) and of the complementary portion (34) are parallel to each other and orthogonal to the axis of the body (30) .

10. The fixation element as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that it i s formed in a single piece of elastomeric material.