DE102017200210A1 - Refrigeration unit with dehydrator function - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigeration device comprises a cooling zone with a first storage compartment (37) and an evaporator cooling the first storage compartment (37) and a drying zone with a second storage compartment (6) and an electrically operated heater (15) arranged in the second storage compartment (6). The drying zone and the cooling zone form separate volumes of air. The drying zone comprises a heat exchange chamber (5) communicating with the second storage compartment (6) and a cooling surface arranged in the heat exchange chamber (5), separate from the first evaporator, in particular a second evaporator (7).

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator with a dehydrating function, i. a refrigeration device that is able to dehydrate stored material, especially food, quickly and effectively.

To some extent, almost all refrigerators tend to dry out refrigerated goods stored in them, since moisture evaporated by the refrigerated goods tends to precipitate on an evaporator, and thus the refrigerated goods are lost. This effect is especially pronounced in no-frost refrigerators, in which refrigerated goods and evaporators are spatially separated. In particular, unpackaged leafy vegetables tend therefore in a no-frost refrigerator to fast withering, on the other hand, the dehydration is not intense enough to allow a targeted dehydration of food.

In many no-frost refrigerators, a heater is provided in an evaporator chamber to defrost the evaporator. This heater is only in operation when the evaporator is not cooling at the same time, and even if a fan that circulates air between the evaporator chamber and storage compartment in the normal cooling mode is turned off.

A refrigerator with a plurality of storage compartments, a first of which is cooled and in which a second heating is arranged to dry the contents of the second storage compartment, is out JP 2008032392 known. Both storage compartments communicate with a common evaporator. Its temperature must be lower than that of the colder storage compartment. As a result, although the second storage compartment air supplied has a very low moisture content, but a high heat output is required to maintain a temperature suitable for rapid drying in the second storage compartment upright.

Object of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration device that allows drying of embedded material with improved energy efficiency.

The object is achieved by having in a refrigeration device with a cooling zone comprising a first storage compartment and a first storage compartment cooling evaporator, and a drying zone, which includes a second storage compartment and disposed in the second storage compartment electrically operated heater, the drying zone and the Forming the cooling zone separate air volumes and the dehydration zone comprises a communicating with the second storage compartment heat exchange chamber and a heat exchange chamber arranged in the separate from the first evaporator cooling surface.

By separating the air volumes from the drying zone and the cooling zone, a higher air temperature can be maintained throughout the drying zone than in the cooling zone and in particular as the first evaporator; Excessive cooling of the air at the cooling surface, which requires subsequent high energy heating to maintain a suitable drying temperature in the second storage compartment, can be avoided.

In the simplest case, the cooling surface may be a wall surface via which a heat exchange with the cooling zone takes place; preferably, it is the surface of a second evaporator.

A first fan may be arranged to drive air exchange between the second storage compartment and the heat exchange chamber, i. it is arranged so that, apart from any leaks, any way in which air can pass from a blower side of the fan to a suction side thereof, passes successively through the second storage compartment and the evaporator chamber. As will be explained in more detail below, however, this fan is preferably not used in drying, as it would lead to a strong heat flow from the second storage chamber to the heat exchanger chamber.

Instead, a second fan may be disposed in the second storage compartment to drive a closed air circuit within the second storage compartment, i. such that at least a majority of the air flow driven by the fan passes from a blow end of the fan to a suction side thereof without leaving the second storage compartment. By such a fan ensures that steam is quickly dissipated from the immediate vicinity of the dried material and evenly distributed in the second storage compartment, he can significantly improve the dehydration with low energy use.

The presence of the first fan can help to keep the proportion of the second fan driven air flow passing through the heat exchanger chamber small, especially if the first fan is arranged in a passage between the heat exchanger chamber and the second storage compartment and so in Standstill this passage at least partially blocked.

The second fan is preferably removably mounted in the second storage compartment. So he has to occupy no space in the second storage compartment, if this is not used for drying. Alternatively, the second fan could also be movable between an operating position in which it projects into the second storage compartment and a rest position in which For example, it rests on a wall of the storage compartment to save space.

A refrigeration unit control unit should support a dry mode of operation in which the heater and second evaporator are in operation at the same time.

If the above-mentioned second fan is present, the controller should also operate it in the dry mode.

The first fan, on the other hand, should be turned off in the dry mode for the reasons explained above.

In order to allow secondary use of the drying zone, the control unit should further support a cooling mode of operation in which the second evaporator is in operation and the heating is switched off.

In the cooling mode of operation, the controller should operate the first fan to keep a temperature gradient between the second storage chamber and the second evaporator small.

The operating temperature of the second evaporator should - at least in the drying mode - be above 0 ° C, so that moisture condensing on the second evaporator remains liquid and can flow from the second evaporator.

The operating temperature of the first evaporator may be lower than that of the second.

The second evaporator may be connected upstream of the first evaporator in a refrigerant circuit in series, wherein a pressure gradient between the two evaporators causes the evaporation temperature in the first evaporator is lower than in the second.

Preferably, the second evaporator is a finned evaporator.

• 1 einen schematischen Schnitt durch ein Kältegerät gemäß einer ersten Ausgestaltung der Erfindung;
• 2 einen Kältemittelkreislauf des Kältegeräts; und
• 3 einen zu 1 analogen Schnitt durch ein Kältegerät gemäß einer zweiten Ausgestaltung der Erfindung.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Show it

• 1 a schematic section through a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the invention;
• 2 a refrigerant circuit of the refrigeration device; and
• 3 one too 1 analog section through a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the invention.

1 shows in a schematic section a part of a housing 1 a refrigeration device. In addition to a fully shown chamber 2 can one or more, in the figure only fragmentary shown chambers 3 to be available. The chamber 2 is through an intermediate wall 4 in a heat exchanger chamber 5 and a storage compartment 6 divided. The heat exchanger chamber 5 contains in conventional manner for no-frost refrigerators an evaporator 7 , preferably a finned evaporator. In one passage of the partition 4 is a fan 8th arranged. The ventilator 8th is intended to be in an operating mode in which the chamber 2 is used as a cooling zone, an airflow 9 to drive through the heat exchanger chamber 5 and the storage compartment 6 circulated.

In the same way is also in the 1 only partly shown chamber 3 in a storage compartment 37 and an evaporator chamber 38 divided, and a fan 39 is provided to air between storage compartment 37 and evaporator chamber 38 to circulate.

The chambers 2 . 3 each delimit separate air volumes, an exchange of air between the chambers 2 . 3 does not take place; an insulating wall 40 between them is free of passages.

In the chamber 2 is a second fan 10 provided to in an operating mode in which the chamber 2 serves as a dried-up area, a stream of air 11 mostly only within the storage compartment 6 circulated. For this purpose it is spaced from the partition 4 in the storage compartment 6 arranged so that air, which emanates from a blast side 12 of the fan, the suction side 13 can reach without the heat exchanger chamber 5 to go through. The axis of the fan 10 may differ from the drawing in the width direction of the housing 1 , perpendicular to the cutting plane of the 1 , be oriented to the proportion of airflow 11 passing through the heat exchanger chamber 5 runs, minimize.

The storage compartment 6 is with Dörrgut 14 feedable. It contains an electrically operated heater 15 Typically, a heating resistor, for example, on a loadable with the material to be dehydrated bottom surface of the storage compartment 6 extends.

At the bottom of the heat exchanger chamber 5 , under the heat exchanger 7 , extends a gutter 16 for condensate draining from the heat exchanger. A condensation drain 17 leads from the lowest point of the gutter 16 through a the chamber 2 surrounding insulation layer to an evaporation tray 18 , The evaporation tray 18 can be tight in a machine room of the refrigerator adjacent to a compressor 19 be arranged to be heated by its waste heat.

An electronic control unit 20 is provided to the operation of the compressor 19 , the fans 8th . 10 and the heater 15 to coordinate. The control unit 20 is with a user interface 21 connected to from there a command from a user to operate the chamber 2 in cooling or in dry mode. A command to operate in the dry mode may specify a duration of the dry operation that the user takes into account the type and quantity of dried food 14 entered. Alternatively, the control unit 20 this duration based on information provided by the user on the type and quantity of dried food 14 set yourself. Furthermore, one of type and quantity of dried food 14 independent upper limit of the duration of the drying operation to be established, which is the control unit 20 under any circumstances.

If in the storage compartment 6 a hygrometer 22 is provided, instead of a desired duration of the dry operation, a limit value of the humidity via the user interface 21 when it falls below the control unit 20 finished the drying operation.

During dry operation, the control unit operates 20 the fan 10 continuously, the fan 8th is switched off. The compressor 19 operate it to the extent necessary to the evaporator 7 To keep it at an operating temperature just above 0 ° C, for this purpose, it is equipped with an evaporator temperature sensor 23 connected. The performance of the heater 15 regulates it - continuously or intermittently - on the basis of measured values in the storage compartment 6 arranged temperature sensor 24 to maintain a predetermined or user-entered temperature, which is generally above ambient temperature and is selectable, for example, at an interval of 25-50 ° C.

The high temperature in the storage compartment 6 causes a rapid dehydration of Dörrguts 14 ; discharged water vapor is from the air flow 11 quickly evenly distributed in the storage compartment 6. At the same time is due to the stoppage of the fan 8th the air exchange between storage compartment 6 and heat exchanger chamber 5 low. It is therefore sufficient a small part of the compressor 19 available cooling capacity to the evaporator 7 to maintain its operating temperature. Because storage compartment 6 and heat exchanger chamber 5 at the in 1 shown arrangement at the same height next to each other, a slow exchange of air between the two by convection is achieved; the warm, moist air that is in this way in the heat exchanger chamber 5 gets its moisture at the evaporator 7 and returns to the storage compartment with significantly reduced moisture content 6 back.

If the conditions for a termination of the dry operation are met, the control unit is in the simplest case 20 into a dormant mode over by heating 15 and fan 10 turns off and the refrigerant supply to the evaporator 7 interrupts. Alternatively it can be provided that the user can preselect a temperature at the beginning of a dehydration, on which the storage compartment 6 after completion of the drying process, and the control unit 20 at the end of the dehydration mode changes to the cooling mode to set this temperature.

In cooling mode, the heating remains 15 off, the fan 8th is in operation, and the evaporator 7 is supplied in a conventional manner to the extent with refrigerant, which is required to maintain the preselected temperature.

The ventilator 10 is preferably detachably mounted on a wall, here the ceiling, of the storage compartment 6, so that it can be removed by the user without the use of tools when the storage compartment 6 permanently used as a refrigerated compartment and it is not needed, but limits the usable volume.

Alternatively, the fan 10 with the wall of the storage compartment 6 connected via a folding foot and between the in 1 shown in the storage compartment 6 protruding operating position and resting against the wall rest position as indicated by a double arrow to be movable. At rest, the fan occupies 10 Although still room in the storage compartment 6 but does not hinder the access to remote areas of the storage compartment by far to the same extent as in the operating position 6 , An advantage of the flap is that electrical supply lines of the fan for folding in the rest position need not be interrupted.

The refrigeration device can be a network interface 25 , For example, to a wireless network or wireless network, over which the control unit 20 Sends a message to a networked device, such as a user's smartphone, to alert the user when a dehydration process is complete and the dehydrated product 14 from the storage compartment 6 removed and replaced with fresh.

On the networked device can be installed a special app to the message of the control unit 20 to process. The processing may consist in producing immediately a signal, preferably acoustic or haptic, which the user can perceive without having to look at the networked device, and information can be read by the user on a screen of the networked device when he, indicated by the signal, activates the screen. But it is also possible to register the refrigerator as a participant in a known text messaging service such as SMS or WhatsApp and use this text messaging service to send the message to the networked device.

2 shows a refrigerant circuit, according to a preferred embodiment in the refrigerator of the 1 is provided. At one of a pressure connection of the here speed-controlled compressor 19 outgoing refrigerant line 26 is initially an outside of the housing 1 exposed liquefier 27 connected. Behind the condenser 27 forks the line 26 in two branches 28 . 29 , On the branch 28 are a first controllable throttle 30 , the evaporator 7 and a second controllable throttle 31 connected in series, on the branch 29 a third controllable throttle 32 , an evaporator 33 one of the chambers 3 and a fourth controllable throttle 34 , From a junction of the two branches 28 . 29 the line runs 26 via an evaporator 35 another subject 3 to a suction port of the compressor 19 , The throttle points 30 . 31 . 32 . 34 can be expansion valves. Their flow conductance is through the control unit 20 adjustable.

The speed of the compressor 19 - And consequently the mass flow of the refrigerant in the line 26 or their branches 28 . 29 - depends on the total cooling capacity requirement of all chambers 2 . 3 variable. With the help of throttle points 30 . 31 is the pressure in the evaporator 7 despite variable throughput of the branch 28 each adjustable so that an appropriate for the drying operation evaporation temperature just above 0 ° C, for example in a temperature range of 1-4 ° C, is reached. In the evaporator 35 however, the pressure can be so low that the evaporation temperature is below -15 ° C, for example, and that of the evaporator 35 cooled chamber 3 can be used as a freezer.

To go from drying plant to cooling operation of storage bin 6 it is sufficient to switch the throttle point 30 to narrow and the throttle point 31 expand and so a pressure decrease in the evaporator 7 bring about. At the same time, the speed of the compressor 19 be easily raised to take account of the fact that the cooling power requirement of the device at the transition of the storage compartment 6 in the cooling mode increases.

With the help of throttle points 32 . 34 is the evaporator 33 to a lower evaporation temperature than the evaporator 7 adjustable. While the storage compartment 6 is in the dry mode, so can from the evaporator 33 cooled chamber 3 be operated as, for example, normal refrigeration compartment, so that all the user-familiar functions of a combined refrigeration appliance remain available even while the appliance is being used for drying.

3 shows a simplified embodiment of the refrigerator in a too 1 analogue cut. As in the case of 1 comprises a selectively usable as a cooling or drying zone chamber 2 'a storage compartment 6' and a heat exchanger chamber 5 '. An intermediate wall 4 'between storage compartment 6' and heat exchanger chamber 5 'forms here simultaneously the bottom of the storage compartment 6', and the heat exchanger chamber 5 'is through a wall 36 separated from the underlying chamber 3 '. The wall 36 here forms a heat exchanger through which the air in the heat exchanger chamber 5 'heat to the chamber 3' emits. A fan 8 'is as in the case of 1 in a passage of the intermediate wall 4 'between storage compartment 6' and heat exchanger chamber 5 'arranged to drive in a cooling mode of operation, an air flow 9' through storage compartment 6 'and heat exchanger chamber 5' and by the resulting heat flow to the chamber 3 'to cool the storage compartment 6'. A second ventilator 10 'is provided to provide an airflow 11' in the storage compartment in the drying operation mode 6 to circulate. Also, this fan 10 'can be mounted as described above with in the width direction of the storage compartment 6' oriented axis, so that the air flow 11 'in front of the heat exchanger chamber 5' leading passage openings without penetrating them.

In this arrangement of storage compartment 6 'and heat exchanger chamber 5', the air exchange between the two is not driven by convection; However, diffusion is sufficient to slowly penetrate the moisture released by the dried material 14 'into the heat exchanger chamber 5' and there against the wall 36 to condense.

The chamber 3 'below the wall 36 can have an operating temperature below 0 ° C, it can be provided eg as a freezer compartment. The thickness of an insulating layer in the wall 36 is then preferably sized so that the temperature of the heat exchanger chamber 5 'limiting surface of the wall 36 remains above 0 ° C and on the sloping surface condensing moisture to a condensate drain 17 'and escape from the heat exchanger chamber 5' can escape.

A heater 15 'for heating the dried product 14' may be as in 1 shown at the bottom of the storage compartment 6 'to heat the dried material 14' directly and possibly also heat to the heat exchanger chamber 5 ', so that the surface of the wall 36 also does not freeze when in the drying operation of the air exchange between storage compartment 6 'and heat exchanger chamber 5' and the resulting heat input into the heat exchanger chamber 5 'are low. Alternatively, as in 3 shown here as well as in the design of the 1 the heater 15 'spaced from the dried material 14', for example, be mounted under the ceiling of the storage compartment 6 ', so that the heat released by it is transported indirectly through the air flow 11' to the dried material 14 '.

The 3 contains not mentioned above reference numerals with in 1 used are identical. These designate in 3 same items as in 1 so they will not be described here again.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

casing

2

chamber

3

chamber

4

partition

5

heat exchanger chamber

6

warehouse specialist

7

Evaporator

8th

fan

9

airflow

10

fan

11

airflow

12

blow side

13

suction

14

Food to be dried

15

heater

16

collecting channel

17

condensate drain

18

evaporation tray

19

compressor

20

control unit

21

User interface

22

hygrometer

23

Evaporator temperature sensor

24

temperature sensor

25

Network Interface

26

Refrigerant line

27

condenser

28

branch

29

branch

30

restriction

31

restriction

32

restriction

33

Evaporator

34

restriction

35

Evaporator

36

wall

37

warehouse specialist

38

evaporator chamber

39

fan

40

wall

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• JP 2008032392 [0004]

Claims (15)

Refrigerating appliance having a cooling zone, which comprises a first storage compartment (37) and an evaporator (33, 35) cooling the first storage compartment (37), and a drying zone, which has a second storage compartment (6) and one in the second storage compartment (6) electrically operated heater (15, 15 '), characterized in that the drying zone and the cooling zone separate air volumes and form the Dörrzone one with the second storage compartment (6, 6') communicating heat exchanger chamber (5, 5 ') and one in the heat exchanger chamber (5, 5 ') arranged, from the first evaporator (33, 35) separate cooling surface. Refrigeration device after Claim 1 , characterized in that the cooling surface is a second evaporator (7). Refrigeration device after Claim 1 or 2 characterized by a first fan (8, 8 ') arranged to drive an exchange of air between the second storage compartment (6, 6') and the heat exchange chamber (5, 5 '). Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a second fan (10, 10 ') in the second storage compartment (6, 6') is arranged to drive a closed air circuit within the second storage compartment (6, 6 '). Refrigeration device after Claim 3 and Claim 4 Characterized in that the first fan (8, 8 ') in a passage between the heat exchange chamber (5, 5') is arranged and the second storage compartment (6, 6 '). Refrigeration device after Claim 4 or 5 , characterized in that the second fan (10, 10 ') in the second storage compartment (6, 6') removably mounted in the second storage compartment or is movable between an operating and a rest position. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, as far as Claim 2 referring back, characterized by a control unit (20) which supports a dried operating mode in which the heater (15) and second evaporator (7) are in operation simultaneously. Refrigeration device after Claim 4 and Claim 7 , characterized in that the control unit is set up to operate the second ventilator (10) in the drying operation mode. Refrigeration device after Claim 3 and Claim 7 , characterized in that the control unit is adapted to keep the first fan (8) switched off in the drying operation mode. Refrigeration device after Claim 7 . 8th or 9 characterized in that the control unit supports a cooling operation mode in which the second evaporator (7) is in operation and the heater (15) is turned off. Refrigeration device after Claim 10 and Claim 3 , characterized in that the control unit (20) is adapted to operate the first fan (8) in the cooling mode of operation. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, as far as Claim 2 back-related, characterized in that the second evaporator (7) has an operating temperature above 0 ° C. Refrigeration device after Claim 12 , characterized in that the second evaporator (7) is connected upstream of the first evaporator (33) in a refrigerant circuit in series. Refrigeration device after Claim 12 , characterized in that the second evaporator (7) with the first evaporator (35) is connected in parallel in a refrigerant circuit. Refrigeration device after Claim 12 . 13 or 14 , characterized in that the second evaporator (7) is a finned evaporator.

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