EP0036238A2

EP0036238A2 - Refrigerator comprising several preservation compartments at different temperatures

Info

Publication number: EP0036238A2
Application number: EP81200295A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giuliano Piva
Original assignee: IRE SpA; IRE Industrie Riunite Eurodomestici SpA; Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken NV; Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
Current assignee: IRE Industrie Riunite Eurodomestici SpA; Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 1980-03-18
Filing date: 1981-03-16
Publication date: 1981-09-23
Also published as: ES8207331A1; ES500389A0; EP0036238A3; EP0036238B1; DE3164073D1

Abstract

A refrigerator having a substantially rectangular vertical cross-section and including preservation compartments at different temperatures, characterized in that it comprises two separate freezer compartments (2, 3), each closed by its own door (2A, 3A), substantially located at the opposite ends of a diagonal of the refrigerator vertical cross-section and associated with a common forced air circulation refrigeration circuit, and a refrigerator compartment associated with an independent refrigerator circuit, formed (said compartment) by at least two communicating sections (4,5), each closed by its own door (4A,5A) and located at the other diagonal of the vertical cross-section to obtain a zone (11) of a width equal to the maximum internal width of the refrigerator.

Description

The invention relates to a refrigerator having a substantially vertical cross-section and comprising preservation compartments at different temperatures.
Domestic refrigerators are available commercially comprising two different preservation compartments each closed by its own door, one compartment, namely the freezer compartment, being designed for preservation at a low average temperature of -18 C or below, and the other compartment, known as the refrigeration compartment, being designed for preservation at a higher temperature relatively close to 0°C, for example around 4°C. In these refrigerators, the freezer compartment can be located either in the top or in the bottom of the refrigerator, and can either comprise its own refrigeration circuit independent- of that associated with the refrigeration compartment, or can be brought to its operating temperature by a part of the circuit which operates in the refrigeration compartment.
The known design in which the freezer compartment is superposed on the refrigeration compartment has certain drawbacks. In this respect, the refrigeration compartment, which is that used by the user more frequently, is in an uncomfortable position such as to compel the user to bend in order to gain access to the compartment. Furthermore, as the highest layers of the environmental air are also the hottest, arranging the freezer compartment in the top of the refrigerator causes a greater dissipation of cold to the atmosphere for equal conditions. Added to this is also the fact that a refrigerator of this type comprises only one refrigeration circuit common to the two compartments, which means that the control of the temperatures of the two compartments cannot be optimised.
The alternative design, in which the refrigeration compartment is superposed on the freezer compartment, does not suffer from these drawbacks, but as in the preceding case the freezer compartment is opened relatively frequently, this leading to a certain electricity consumption which it would be desirable to reduce either by reducing the frequency with which this compartment is opened or by requiring only part of the freezer space to be frequently opened.
The main object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator, in particular but not necessarily a domestic refrigerator, which comprises preservation compartments at different temperatures, and which enables the aforesaid drawbacks to be overcome such that the refrigerator becomes particularly comfortable and efficient.
This object is attained according to the invention which is characterized in that it comprises two separate freezer compartments, each closed by its own door, substantially located at the opposite ends of a diagonal of the refrigerator vertical cross-section and associated with a common forced air circulation refrigeration circuit, and a refrigerator compartment associated with an independent refrigerator circuit, said compartment being formed by at least two communicating sections, each closed by its own door and located at the other diagonal of the vertical cross-section to obtain a zone of a width equal to the maximum internal width of the refrigerator.
The refrigerator according to the invention therefore comprises two freezer compartments closed by their own door. If one of these compartments is situated at a higher level than the other, this higher compartment, preferably of smaller capacity than the other, being used for preserving frozen foods most frequently consumed by the user, there is the advantage of less frequent operation of the refrigeration circuit and thus lower electricity consumption, because only a part, preferably a minor part of the freezer space (formed by the two compartments), is subject to frequent opening and cold loss. Furthermore, the freezer compartment of greater capacity is disposed at the bottom, i.e. in a position corresponding with the coldest zones of the environment in which the refrigerator is installed, and this helps to reduce cold losses.
The refrigerator according to the invention also comprises a refrigeration compartment, one zone of which has a width equal to the maximum width of the refrigerator, this being useful for preserving large products. In addition, the provision of two doors for the refrigeration compartment helps to reduce cold losses, so reducing electricity consumption for the reasons heretofore stated. Finally, if the evaporator of the refrigeration circuit for the refrigeration compartment is disposed in its highest part, a temperature can be attained by simple means in the lower part of said compartment which is optimum for preserving fruit and vegetables, e.g. around 8°_C.
For the purpose of better temperature adjustment, two independent refrigeration circuits are advantageously provided, one for the freezer compartments and one for the refrigeration compartment, the former being of the forced air circulation type, and the latter of the natural circulation type.
When using such a refrigerator, it can happen that the refrigeration compartment is temporarily insufficient whereas the volume of the two freezer compartments is excessive, or alternatively that one of the freezer compartments requires a temperature substantially different from the other, but less than the temperature of the refrigeration compartment, or again that a compartment is required at a temperature greater than that of the refrigeration compartment, for the optimum preservation of fruit, vegetables or merely for cooling drinks such as wine or beer.
In order to satisfy these requirements, and thus make the use of such a type of refrigerator more comfortable and practical, the invention makes it possible to reduce, until complete shut-off, the air flow towards at least one of the freezer compartments by interception means of adjustable position.
As a refrigeration circuit of the forced air circulation type comprises an evaporator bank struck by an air current provided by a fan and fed towards the freezer compartments through ducts which open thereat, then returning through other ducts, the interception means of adjustable position can be merely a slide valve movable for example manually, or a hinged flap, by means of which the outlet mouth of the ducts which feed the cold air into the freezer compartment can be reduced in size to a varying degree until total shut-off. It is therefore apparent that according to the position of the slide valve, a given compartment will function either as a freezer compartment (with the slide valve completely open), or as a refrigeration compartment (with the slide valve only partly open), or as a cooling compartment (with the slide valve completely or nearly completely closed).
The invention will-be more apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter by way of example, with reference to the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 represents a central perspective view of a refrigerator according to the invention with all its access doors open.
Fig. 2 represents a front diagrammatic view of a refrigerator similar to that of the aforesaid utility model, and which is shown without doors.

The reference numeral 1 indicates overall the refrigerator housing or cabinet constructed according to the known art and of parallelepiped shape, so that its projection on to a vertical plane is a rectangle. Two freezer compartments 2, 3, in which the products preserved therein can be kept at a temperature of -18°C or below, are provided on opposite sides of a diagonal of this rectangle. The compartments 2, 3 are separated laterally (by means of normal internal insulating walls 6, 7) by a re_fri- geration compartment designed for preserving products at a higher temperature, e.g. +4°C, and formed from two sections 4, 5. Each freezer compartment 2, 3 is provided with its own insulating door 2A, 3A. These doors are constructed in accordance with the known refrigerator art. The upper freezer compartment 2 has a capacity less than the lower compartment 3, as it is provided for preserving products which are more frequently consumed, and is therefore subject to more frequent opening. The two freezer compartments possess a common refrigeration circuit of the known forced air circulation type, of which the compartment 2 comprises the fan 8 for circulating air between the two compartments 2, 3 through ducts present in the refrigerator housing 1. Preferably the compartment 2 is divided by shelves 9, whereas the other compartment comprises slidable drawers 10 to give better space organisation.
Each of the two sections 4 and 5, through which the refrigeration compartment extends, is provided with its own insulating door 4A, 5A. The section 4 lies to the side of the upper freezer compartment 2, has a height greater than this latter, and is superposed on the lower freezer compartment 3.
The section 5 is situated below the freezer compartment 2 to the side of the lower freezer compartment 3, and has a height greater than this latter. By virtue of the fact that the sections 4,5 have a greater height than the freezer compartments 2 and 3, they communicate with each other in such a manner that their communicating parts form a preservation space 11 which extends over the entire inner width of the refrigerator.
A shelf 14 (preferably removable) can be provided in the section 5 at a level corresponding with the top of the lower freezer compartment 3, in order to create in the lower part of the section 5 a so-called "continuous zone" having a preservation temperature of the order of +8°C, which is the optimum temperature for wine and other products, such as vegetables.
The refrigeration circuit of the refrigeration compartment 4, 5 is independent from the preceding, and is of the natural circulation type. The evaporator 12 of this circuit can be seen in the top of the section 4.
The various doors are fitted with conventional seal gaskets where these abut against the surrounding edges of the inner and outer walls 1A, 6 and 8 of the housing 1, whereas at least over the portion where no abutment is present and where the seal must be made against facing edges of the doors 4A and 5A, different gaskets can be provided of a type known in the art.
It should be noted that in the horizontal dividing wall between the compartments 2 and 5, a seat 13 is provided for receiving the electrical control devices, the control members of which are accessible to the user in the intermediate space between the doors 2A and 5A, without the need to open them.
The refrigeration circuit common to the freezer compartments 2, 3 and of the forced air circulation type comprises a) an evaporator bank 20 traversed by a refrigerant fluid and connected to a condenser bank and a motor- compressor unit (these latter two items not shown), and carried in an insulated chamber 21 situated for example to the rear of the compartment 3; b) a fan 22, in this case a centrifugal fan, the suction side of which is connected to the chamber 21, the fan also being disposed in an insulated seat; c) parallel feed ducts 23, 24 located inside the insulation of the housing 1, connected to the delivery side of the fan 22 and opening respectively into the compartments 3 and 2 by way of the feed mouths 25, 26; d) corresponding parallel suction ducts 27 opening into the chamber 21 in a position such that the air taken in is compelled to graze the evaporator bank 20 before reaching the fan 22, and beginning with the suction mouths 28, 29 which open respectively into the compartments 2 and 3. The suction duct for the compartment 3 is very short and is not shown in the figure because the chamber 21 is very close to the mouth 29.
At the delivery mouth 25 for the compartment 2 there is provided a slide valve 30 which can be moved manually in the direction of the arrows A by means of a grip 31. The rear of the slide valve comprises two parallel grooves 32, by means of which it is slidably guided on the opposing parallel flanges 33 present on two sides of the mouth 25. It is apparent that if the mouth 25 is completely closed, the cold air will not be able to enter the compartment 3, and the temperature thereof will then be determined by the leakage of cold from the compartments 4, 5 to the compartment 3, and from this latter to the outside environment, and will be greater than either the freezing temperature (-18°C or less) or the refrigeration temperature (4°C). If the mouth 25 is only partly open, the compartment 3 can become a refrigeration compartment in which the temperature will be for example 4°C, or a freezer compartment but with a temperature greater than the temperature of compartment 2. Finally, with the mouth completely ppen, the same temperature can be attained in both compartments 2 and 3. It is apparent that instead of the slide valve, a butterfly valve hinged to the mouth 25 or a swivel-type flap valve can be provided.

Claims

1. A refrigerator having a substantially rectangular vertical cross-section and including preservation compartments at different temperatures, characterized in that it comprises two separate freezer compartments (2,3), each closed by its own door (2A,3A), substantially located at the opposite ends of a diagonal of the refrigerator vertical cross-section and associated with a common forced air circulation refrigeration circuit, and a refrigerator compartment associated with an independent refrigerator circuit, formed (said compartment) by at least two communicating sections (4,5), each elosed by its own door (4A,5A) and located at the other diagonal of the vertical cross-section to obtain a zone (11) of a width equal to the maximum internal width of the refrigerator.

2. A refrigerator as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the lower freezer compartment (3) is fitted with drawers.

3. A refrigerator as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein a compartment for housing the electrical controls (13) is disposed between the upper freezer compartment (2) and the lower section (5) of the refrigeration compartment.

4. A refrigerator as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein the air flow towards at least one of the freezer compartments can be reduced until complete shut-off by interception means of adjustable position.

5. A refrigerator as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the interception means are disposed at the delivery mouths.

6. A refrigerator as claimed in Claim 4 or 5, wherein the interception means are constituted by a slide valve, a butterfly valve or a swivel-type valve.