EP1120798A2 - Dispositif de réchauffement, en particulier pour le dégivrage des compartiments congélateurs - Google Patents

Dispositif de réchauffement, en particulier pour le dégivrage des compartiments congélateurs Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1120798A2
EP1120798A2 EP01830002A EP01830002A EP1120798A2 EP 1120798 A2 EP1120798 A2 EP 1120798A2 EP 01830002 A EP01830002 A EP 01830002A EP 01830002 A EP01830002 A EP 01830002A EP 1120798 A2 EP1120798 A2 EP 1120798A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
resistive elements
envelopes
envelope
electrically connected
pellicular
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP01830002A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1120798A3 (fr
EP1120798B1 (fr
Inventor
Valerio Bresolin
Daniele Ragazzon
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.)
ALPER Srl
Original Assignee
ALPER Srl
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by ALPER Srl filed Critical ALPER Srl
Publication of EP1120798A2 publication Critical patent/EP1120798A2/fr
Publication of EP1120798A3 publication Critical patent/EP1120798A3/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1120798B1 publication Critical patent/EP1120798B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05BELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B3/00Ohmic-resistance heating
    • H05B3/02Details
    • H05B3/04Waterproof or air-tight seals for heaters
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25DREFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D21/00Defrosting; Preventing frosting; Removing condensed or defrost water
    • F25D21/06Removing frost
    • F25D21/08Removing frost by electric heating
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01CRESISTORS
    • H01C1/00Details
    • H01C1/02Housing; Enclosing; Embedding; Filling the housing or enclosure
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05BELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B3/00Ohmic-resistance heating
    • H05B3/20Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional plane, e.g. plate-heater
    • H05B3/22Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional plane, e.g. plate-heater non-flexible
    • H05B3/28Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional plane, e.g. plate-heater non-flexible heating conductor embedded in insulating material
    • H05B3/286Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional plane, e.g. plate-heater non-flexible heating conductor embedded in insulating material the insulating material being an organic material, e.g. plastic
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05BELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B2203/00Aspects relating to Ohmic resistive heating covered by group H05B3/00
    • H05B2203/02Heaters using heating elements having a positive temperature coefficient

Definitions

  • the present invention concerns heating devices, in particular for the quick defrosting of freezer compartments or the like which comprise resistive elements to be connected to a source of electrical supply.
  • the freezer compartments are recptacles substantially of parallelepipedic form inside which cooling or evaporating coil are housed, and forming part of a cooling apparatus, to lower the inside temperature to the required values.
  • defrosting devices have been developed to allow the ice created to melt and usually to collect it in a tray located on the bottom of the freezer compartment.
  • a first example of the device is comprised of armoured resistances wich consist of electrical wires wound around a suitable support of insulating material, for example polyester, inserted inside protective sheathes in PVC (polyvinyl of chloride) in its turn inserted in metallic pipes. These resistances are housed in the walls of the freezer compartments near the cooling coil of the refrigerating apparatus. By connecting the armoured resistances to an electrical supply, the heat generated melts the ice and the water formed accumulates in the collecting tray.
  • PVC polyvinyl of chloride
  • pellicular resistive elements are utilized, that is not filiform elements but sheet-like elements, so as to cover in an optimum way the inside surface of the freezer compartment.
  • Pellicular resistive elements are described in the Italian utility model N. MI98U000773 filed on 27.11.1998.
  • Each element comprises a plurality of plastic sheets or laminae between which, by means of a felt-tip pen, printing or silk-screen process, a layer of resistive ink strips are deposited, these strips are connected by means of conductive tracks also achieved by the same depositing techniques.
  • the electrical connection between the conductive tracks of the different sheets is obtained by metallic elements which perforate the sheets.
  • the resistive ink has the electrical characteristics of the PTC type (positive temperature coefficient) in which, as the temperature increases, the value of the electrical resistance increases, so as to self-limit the intensity of the electrical current thus avoiding possible overheating.
  • the sheets are arranged in the hollow walls of the freezer compartment, together with the evaporating coil, and the whole apparatus is soaked by a foam layer which, solidifying, fills the wall of the freezer compartment.
  • the laminar structure is complex because it is made of several layers.
  • a second drawback is due to the fact that the sheets or the laminae which form the pellicular resistive elements have a unique electrical insulation which might be insufficient; moreover, in order to connect more sheets therebetween, metallic elements are utilized which perforate the sheets, further reducing the electrical insulation and introducing at the same time difficulties in constructing the device.
  • the aim of the invention is to obtain a device in which the drawbacks cited with reference to the above-described prior art are eliminated.
  • a device of the initially indicated type that is a defrosting device for freezer compartments comprising pellicular resistive elements electrically connected therebetween, characterized in that said pellicular resistive elements are contained in close envelopes of electrically insulating material, each envelope containing one or more pellicular resistive elements electrically connected therebetween, said resistive elements of each envelope are electrically connected with resistive elements of at least one of the other envelopes and the resistive elements of at least one said enevelope are connected with supply electric wires thus maintaning the resistive elements contained in said at least one envelope electrically insulated.
  • the resitive elements do not necessitate to be covered with layers of insulating material, but it is sufficient to arrange only one support layer on which the resistive ink has to be depositated.
  • the insulation is achieved after by means of the envelope in which the resistive elements are placed in, envelopes which are obtained with electrically insulating material, therefore the resistive elements are perfectly insulated.
  • Each envelope comprises a covered lower and upper sheet, each of them having a perimetrical edge, said sheets being joined for at least a part of their perimetrical edge thus defining an open side, the edges of the open side being joined with the edges of the open side of other envelopes so as to seal said resistive elements inside said envelopes, thus allowing only the passage to the outside of said electrical supply wires.
  • the envelopes are sealed making them perfectly water-tight, so that the device is waterproof thus eliminating the risk that water might infiltrate damaging the pellicular resistive elements contained in the envelopes.
  • the sheet 10 of the device 12 comprises an envelope 14 formed by a lower sheet 13 and an upper sheet 15 both made of electrically insulating material, as for example polyester. Inside the envelope 14 pellicular resistive elements 16a, 16b of the PTF type (polymer thick film) are contained.
  • the pellicular resistive elements 16a,16b are formed by a lower layer of insulating material 18 which represents the support on which, by depositing techniques, resistive ink 20 is applied which optionally, as indicated in figure 4, is covered by a covered upper layer 22 of insulating material.
  • the insulating material used in the lower layer of the support 18 and in the covered upper layer 22 is usually of plastic material, for example polyester or material containing aramidic fibers or similar to those known by the "kevlar” or "kapton” trademark.
  • the resistive ink layer 20 is laid down in strips and preferably has characteristics of PTC type (positive temperature coefficient) whereby as the temperature increases, the electric resistance value increases thus self-limiting the current intensity avoiding dangerous overheating.
  • the resistive ink layer 20 is composed of a mixture of conductive solid particles and a synthetic resin dispersed in a solvent.
  • the conductive particles are made of carbon powder of the type usually known as "carbon black" which may be combined with other conductive materials, in particular metallic elements.
  • the synthetic resin, made of a polymer is chosen among plastic-fluorines, polyolefines or others on the basis of acetates, metacrilati, etc.
  • the solvent, in which the mixture of solid particles is dispersed is chosen among the chlorinated hydrocarbon, the esters, the ethers, the esters-ethers or a mixture of the like.
  • the envelope 14 has a window 24, that is a cavity which is useful because, when considering that the envelope 14 is interposed between the inside walls of the freezer compartment 11 and the evaporating coil, it facilitates the heat transmission from the evaporating coil to the inside of freezer compartment 11.
  • the resistive elements 16a,b are electrically connected therebetween by means of connecting electric wires 40 or conductive tracks in the case the lower support layer 18 is extented between the two resistive elements 16a,16b.
  • the electric wires or conductive tracks 40 which are connected therebetween, come out from the envelope 14 by an electric wire or conductive track 42 (in the case the lower support layer 18 comes out form the envelope 14) in order to be connected with an electric wire or conductive track of the sheet 100, as better illustrated in the following.
  • the lower sheet 13 and the upper sheet 15 have respectively an outside perimetrical edge composed of the lower sides 13b and 15b, the lateral sides 13a,13c and 15a,15c and the upper sides 13d and 15d and an inside perimetrical edge 26.
  • the sides 13a,c of the lower sheet 13 have a length lower than those of the sides 15a,c of the upper sheet 15.
  • the lower sheet 13 and the upper sheet 15 are overimposed on each other, with the pellicular elements 16a,16b interposed between them and the side 13b which corresponds with the side 15b, after which the sheets are joined to each other by means of welding done by radio frequency or hot welding at the sides 13a,b,c and 15a,b,c of the outside perimetrical edge, defining a soldering seam 28.
  • the lower sheet 13 and upper sheet 15 are joined also at the inside perimetrical edge 26 thus defining the envelope 14 opened on the upper side 15d and with the window 24, as illustrated in figure 7.
  • the soldering seam 28 may involve only the partial sides 15a,15c of the upper sheet 15 before reaching the upper side 15d, as indicated in figure 7.
  • Figures 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D represent the sequence by means of which the envelope 14 of the sheet 10 is joined with the envelope 114 of the sheet 100, wherein the elements of the sheet 100 corresponding to the elements of the sheet 10 are indicated with the same numeric reference plus 100. As indicated in figures 8A and 8B, the sheets 10 and 100 are overimposed so that the upper sheet 15 of the sheet 10 is in front of the upper sheet 115 of the sheet 100.
  • soldering seam 32 which involves also a part of sides 13a and 113a and a part of sides 13c and 113c of sheets 10 and 100 until reaching the soldering seam 28 so as to close the envelopes 14,114 and completely seal the pellicular resistive elements 16 contained inside the envelopes 14 and 114, whereas the electric wire 44 of the electric supply comes out of the envelopes 14 and 114.
  • the portions of the sheets 13 and 113 which cover the electric wire 44 are joined around the electric wire 44 by means of a soldering seam 34.
  • the same system used to join the sheet 10 to the sheet 100 is used to join therebetween all the other sheets 200,300,400 in order to finally obtain the device 12.

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)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Resistance Heating (AREA)
  • Defrosting Systems (AREA)
  • Refrigerator Housings (AREA)
  • Surface Heating Bodies (AREA)
EP01830002A 2000-01-27 2001-01-05 Dispositif de réchauffement, en particulier pour le dégivrage des compartiments congélateurs Expired - Lifetime EP1120798B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITVE000002 2000-01-27
IT2000VE000002U ITVE20000002U1 (it) 2000-01-27 2000-01-27 Dispositivo riscaldante in particolare per lo scongelamento di celle frigorifere.

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1120798A2 true EP1120798A2 (fr) 2001-08-01
EP1120798A3 EP1120798A3 (fr) 2002-07-10
EP1120798B1 EP1120798B1 (fr) 2004-08-11

Family

ID=11460957

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP01830002A Expired - Lifetime EP1120798B1 (fr) 2000-01-27 2001-01-05 Dispositif de réchauffement, en particulier pour le dégivrage des compartiments congélateurs

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1120798B1 (fr)
AT (1) ATE273555T1 (fr)
DE (1) DE60104734T2 (fr)
ES (1) ES2225457T3 (fr)
IT (1) ITVE20000002U1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1467165A1 (fr) * 2003-04-08 2004-10-13 Lg Electronics Inc. Dispositif de dégivrage pour un echangeur de chaleur et son procédé de fabrication

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2263658A1 (en) * 1974-03-04 1975-10-03 Brochier & Fils Heater panel is of heat resistant woven fabric having carbon yarns - in weft or warp direction and connected to electrical supply
DE2427753A1 (de) * 1974-06-08 1975-12-18 Gnp Ges Fuer Neue Industriepro Defroster
US4977309A (en) * 1988-04-06 1990-12-11 Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Organic PTC thermistor
US5380988A (en) * 1992-04-29 1995-01-10 Dyer; C. William Heated mat structure for melting ice and snow

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2263658A1 (en) * 1974-03-04 1975-10-03 Brochier & Fils Heater panel is of heat resistant woven fabric having carbon yarns - in weft or warp direction and connected to electrical supply
DE2427753A1 (de) * 1974-06-08 1975-12-18 Gnp Ges Fuer Neue Industriepro Defroster
US4977309A (en) * 1988-04-06 1990-12-11 Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Organic PTC thermistor
US5380988A (en) * 1992-04-29 1995-01-10 Dyer; C. William Heated mat structure for melting ice and snow

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1467165A1 (fr) * 2003-04-08 2004-10-13 Lg Electronics Inc. Dispositif de dégivrage pour un echangeur de chaleur et son procédé de fabrication
US7030344B2 (en) 2003-04-08 2006-04-18 Lg Electronics Inc. Defroster for heat exchanger and fabrication method thereof

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ITVE20000002U1 (it) 2001-07-27
EP1120798A3 (fr) 2002-07-10
ES2225457T3 (es) 2005-03-16
DE60104734T2 (de) 2005-01-27
ATE273555T1 (de) 2004-08-15
EP1120798B1 (fr) 2004-08-11
DE60104734D1 (de) 2004-09-16

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