EP0657707B1 - Refrigerator having a fermentation section - Google Patents

Refrigerator having a fermentation section Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0657707B1
EP0657707B1 EP19940309307 EP94309307A EP0657707B1 EP 0657707 B1 EP0657707 B1 EP 0657707B1 EP 19940309307 EP19940309307 EP 19940309307 EP 94309307 A EP94309307 A EP 94309307A EP 0657707 B1 EP0657707 B1 EP 0657707B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
refrigerator
fermentation
section
fermentation section
refrigerator according
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19940309307
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0657707A1 (en
Inventor
Gun-Sik Chun
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.)
LG Electronics Inc
Original Assignee
Gold Star Co Ltd
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 Gold Star Co Ltd filed Critical Gold Star Co Ltd
Publication of EP0657707A1 publication Critical patent/EP0657707A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0657707B1 publication Critical patent/EP0657707B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime 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
    • F25D23/02—Doors; Covers
    • F25D23/04—Doors; Covers with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners
    • 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
    • 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
    • F25D2317/062—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 along the inside of doors
    • 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
    • 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
    • F25D31/00—Other cooling or freezing apparatus
    • F25D31/005—Combined cooling and heating devices

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a refrigerator and, more particularly, to the manufacture of fermented foods for storage therein.
  • Fermentation processes are used to produce various foods, such as yoghurt, which are sold by retailers. However, these products are often expensive. As a consequence, some consumers have chosen to carry out the fermentation process themselves. This was normally accomplished in a fermentation container, with the fermented product transferred to one or more other containers for storage.
  • Refrigerators including a fermentation section according to the preamble of claim 1 are known for example from US-A-5 228 499. Such refrigerators are expensive to manufacture.
  • a refrigerator includes a fermentation section adapted to receive a food product, and a heater for warming food product therein, and is characterized in that the fermentation section is defined on the inner side of the refrigerator door.
  • the temperature of food product in the fermentation section of a refrigerator according to the invention is preferably monitored by a sensor, and can be controlled in response to signals generated by the sensor. This enables the fermentation process to be managed with minimum manual control.
  • a fermentation device is mounted against a door lining 102 on the inner side of the refrigerator door 101.
  • a box or housing 104 defines a fermentation section 106 in the form of a recess in which a container 10 is held in a cup or holder 115.
  • the cup can substantially close the open side of the recess to minimise any heat loss therefrom to the interior of the refrigerator.
  • the cup shown in the Figures has a handle 114.
  • the box 104 comprises an outer case 107 and an inner case 108 with insulating material 109 therebetween, which are fastened together by bolts 111.
  • Bolts 110 fix the box 104 to a bracket 103 on the inner side of the door lining 102.
  • a heater 113 is provided at or just below the recess 106, and a sensor 112 is mounted on the inner case 108 to monitor the temperature in the recess.
  • the heater is controlled by a controller (not shown) and in response to signals from the sensor 112 to ferment food in the container 105.
  • the controller can thus be programmed to manage a fermentation process for a particular product, according to size and constituents.
  • the box 104 may be located below a freezing compartment of the refrigerator. Cold air from the freezing compartment may pass through an inhalation hole 116. This air serves to cool any warmer air which may escape from the fermentation device, thereby minimising any effects of the device on other food in the refrigerator. Air may be driven through the hole 116 by a fan (not shown).
  • the container 105 To ferment a foodstuff using the arrangement described above, it is first placed in the container 105, which is closed with a cover 105a.
  • the container is placed in the cup or holder 115, which is then inserted in the recess 106.
  • the holder 115 substantially closes the open face of the recess 106 to isolate it from the main volume of the refrigerator.
  • Power is supplied to the heater 113 by a controller (not shown) to promote the fermentation process.
  • the sensor 112 monitors the temperature in the recess 106, and the power fed to the heater may be adjusted as necessary by the controller to maintain the desired temperature.
  • the insulating material 109 serves to reduce the heat loss from the recess 106 to its surroundings.
  • the controller may be configured to operate the heater in accordance with preset parameters.
  • the container is then cooled by the refrigerator, and then maintained at an appropriate temperature for storage of the resulting fermented food.
  • yoghurt Various foodstuffs other than yoghurt may of course be manufactured in a refrigerator of the invention; for example, bean-paste soup made from ground fermented soybeans, and cucumbers pickled in salt.

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)
  • Dairy Products (AREA)
  • Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
  • Freezing, Cooling And Drying Of Foods (AREA)
EP19940309307 1993-12-11 1994-12-12 Refrigerator having a fermentation section Expired - Lifetime EP0657707B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
KR1019930027322A KR960014841B1 (ko) 1993-12-11 1993-12-11 발효장치가 있는 냉장고
KR9327322 1993-12-11

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0657707A1 EP0657707A1 (en) 1995-06-14
EP0657707B1 true EP0657707B1 (en) 1999-03-03

Family

ID=19370636

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19940309307 Expired - Lifetime EP0657707B1 (en) 1993-12-11 1994-12-12 Refrigerator having a fermentation section

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0657707B1 (zh)
JP (1) JPH07218114A (zh)
KR (1) KR960014841B1 (zh)
CN (1) CN1107224A (zh)
DE (1) DE69416794T2 (zh)

Families Citing this family (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
KR100595720B1 (ko) * 2002-12-27 2006-07-03 엘지전자 주식회사 김치냉장고의 요구르트 제조장치
GB2397638A (en) * 2003-01-23 2004-07-28 J Swinden Refrigerator
KR100882478B1 (ko) * 2003-01-25 2009-02-06 엘지전자 주식회사 냉장고의 요구르트 제조장치
EP1614986A3 (en) * 2004-06-28 2007-03-14 Daewoo Electronics Corporation Refrigerator door with a carbonator installed therein
KR100665066B1 (ko) * 2005-05-03 2007-01-04 삼성전자주식회사 맞춤숙성이 가능한 숙성장치 및 그 방법
KR100715339B1 (ko) * 2006-09-01 2007-05-08 위니아만도 주식회사 김치저장고의 소형 발효기
CN102331147A (zh) * 2011-10-09 2012-01-25 合肥美的荣事达电冰箱有限公司 冰箱
CN103322754B (zh) * 2013-07-08 2016-01-13 合肥美的电冰箱有限公司 冰箱
CN103344084B (zh) * 2013-07-22 2016-01-13 合肥美的电冰箱有限公司 酸奶机及具有其的冰箱
CN103575040B (zh) * 2013-11-13 2016-05-18 合肥美的电冰箱有限公司 冰箱
CN103575042B (zh) * 2013-11-13 2017-01-04 合肥美的电冰箱有限公司 冰箱
CN114791201A (zh) * 2021-01-26 2022-07-26 苏州三星电子有限公司 冰箱用存储装置和冰箱

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2783030A (en) * 1953-12-11 1957-02-26 Gen Electric Refrigerator cabinet
JP2786250B2 (ja) * 1989-05-24 1998-08-13 株式会社日立製作所 熟成機能付き冷蔵庫
KR0129521B1 (ko) * 1990-10-15 1998-04-08 강진구 김치발효 및 저장실을 구비한 냉장고
JPH05164460A (ja) * 1991-12-12 1993-06-29 Matsushita Refrig Co Ltd 冷蔵庫

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0657707A1 (en) 1995-06-14
DE69416794T2 (de) 1999-07-29
JPH07218114A (ja) 1995-08-18
DE69416794D1 (de) 1999-04-08
KR960014841B1 (ko) 1996-10-21
CN1107224A (zh) 1995-08-23

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