EP1241418B1 - Refrigeration and/or freezing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The refrigeration or freezing appliances are designed so that the refrigerant circuit has a sound absorber (10) in the region of the evaporator (9). The sound absorber (10) has a damper element in the inside of the refrigerant circuit. The sound damper (10) is arranged at the mouth of a choke (11) connected between the evaporator (9) and the compressor (1), especially at the capillary mouth (14) of a capillary tube (11) of the refrigerant circuit.

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer such as refrigerators, freezers and the like, with an inner container which is surrounded by a device housing outside, a foaming between the inner container and the device housing, a refrigerant circuit comprising an evaporator, a compressor and a Condenser, wherein the compressor is mounted on a compressor carrier having a mounting portion for mounting the compressor carrier.

Such refrigerators and / or freezers can be improved in several ways. One aspect of this is that these devices are sometimes undesirably noisy during operation. By switching on and off the compressor, the noise emission is not as constant, uniform hum, but in cyclic intervals, so that the noise can be distracting.

A refrigerator of the type mentioned shows, for example, US 4,920,696. The back of the device body is a niche between the side walls of the housing provided in which the compressor of the refrigerant circuit is arranged. The compressor sits on a compressor carrier, on the one hand inserted into a passing through the device housing holder and on the other hand is screwed with a transversely across the niche away extending rail right and left on the device housing.

The present invention is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved refrigerator and / or freezer, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and the latter further develops in an advantageous manner. In particular, an improved in terms of its noise cooling or freezer should be created.

This object is achieved by a refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

According to the present invention, therefore, the refrigerator and / or freezer is characterized in that the compressor is mounted on a compressor carrier, the storage of which is formed free of mechanical connections to a device housing, which encloses the inner container of the device. It is therefore intended that the device housing and the compressor and the associated compressor attachment form separate resonant circuits. The compressor is decoupled from the device housing. There are no structure-borne sound transmission connections between the compressor and the device housing. As a result, the noise emission of the refrigerator or freezer can be considerably reduced. In the case of conventional devices, the structure-borne noise emitted by the compressor reaches the bottom plate of the device via the compressor feet and its elastic bearings and spreads over the bottom plate to the device housing. The large surface of the oscillating housing then emits the structure-borne noise as airborne sound. Here, the decoupling of the compressor from the device housing remedy.

In particular, the compressor may be mounted on the rear wall insulation.

Preferably, the compressor carrier has horizontal cross struts with which it is foamed into the rear wall of the device. These cross struts give the compressor attachment higher strength. The compressor itself can be in one Compressor be arranged, which may be formed in the bottom region of the device at the rear wall.

Furthermore, the sound emissions arising in the evaporator are directly damped by a silencer in the region of the evaporator. In particular, the silencer may have at least one damper element in the interior of the refrigerant circuit. By means of such a damper element arranged in the interior of the cooling channel in the gas expansion region, the acoustic emission can be suppressed directly where it arises.

The high pressure gradients occurring in the gas expansion region of the evaporator lead to turbulence of the cooling gas. During the sudden expansion, droplets of the cooling gas can spread far into the zone of lower pressure and atomize there. This non-linear explosion of refrigerant droplets results in noise emissions that can propagate through the evaporator housing.

In a further development of the invention it is provided that the muffler is provided at the mouth of a arranged between the evaporator and the compressor Drosseistrecke. In particular, the silencer can be arranged in the gas expansion region behind the Kapillarmündung a capillary tube. Here are the large pressure gradients that lead to the unwanted noise emissions.

In particular, the muffler may be designed as a flow element that slows down or compares the refrigerant flow, in particular as a porous flow filter, which slows down the droplets firing from the capillary tube to a lower propagation velocity. As a result, the atomization can take place in a zone of higher pressure, the explosion process takes place with less intensity. In addition, reducing the gas velocity reduces turbulence in the flow of the coolant.

The flow filter is expediently so porous that the gas or droplet flow can pass through it. In particular, can be used as a muffler a metal fiber body, preferably a steel wool plug, are introduced behind the Kapillarmündung in the expansion region of the refrigerant channel. The fiber body preferably fills the entire cross section of the refrigerant channel in this area, so that the gas flow must pass through the fiber body.

The use of loose steel wool may affect the proper functioning of the refrigerator or freezer, as individual particles and fibers can be entrained in the operation of the refrigerant. These can clog the capillary tube or destroy the compressor. In the worst case, the fiber body can evaporate completely from the expansion area after a long period of operation and thus lose its effect. To remedy this situation, may be enclosed in a development of the invention, the fiber body of a sheath preferably made of close-meshed material. The sheath may have an opening through which the capillary tube can be slid a bit into the fiber body. The sheath is advantageously designed such that no fiber leakage or fiber volatilization can take place.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention may be introduced as a silencer, a fiber-free damper element made of porous material in the refrigerant passage in the gas expansion region. This also prevents particles or fibers from dissolving out of the damper element and leading to damage or malfunction.

Figur 1

eine Draufsicht auf die Rückwand eines Kühl- und Gefriergerätes nach einer bevorzugten Ausführung der Erfindung in schematischer Darstellung, die die Anordnung des Kompressors zeigt,

Figur 2

einen Längsschnitt durch die Rückwand des Gerätes aus Figur 1, die die Befestigung eines Kompressorträgers zeigt,

Figur 3

eine Figur 1 ähnliche Draufsicht auf die Rückwand eines Kühl- und Gefriergerätes nach einer weiteren bevorzugten Ausführung der Erfindung in schematischer Darstellung, die die Anordnung des Kompressors zeigt,

Figur 4

einen Längsschnitt durch die Rückwand des Geräts aus Figur 3, die die Befestigung eines Kompressorträgers in der Rückwand im Bereich deren Kompressornische zeigt,

Figur 5

eine Figur 1 ähnliche Draufsicht auf die Rückwand eines Kühl- und Gefriergerätes, die die Anordnung des Kompressors und eines Verflüssigers zeigt, jedoch nicht Bestandteil der Erfindung ist,

Figur 6

einen Längsschnitt durch die Rückwand des Gerätes aus Figur 5, die die Befestigung eines Kompressorträgers an dem Verflüssiger zeigt,

Figur 7

eine Schnittansicht des Kältemittelkreislaufs im Bereich des Verdampfers in schematischer Darstellung, die die Anordnung eines Schalldämpfers im Gasexpansionsbereich hinter einer Kapillarrohrmündung zeigt,

Figur 8

eine schematische Darstellung eines Schalldämpferelementes aus Stahlwolle nach einer bevorzugten Ausführung der Erfindung, und

Figur 9

eine schematische Darstellung eines Schalldämpferelementes aus porösem, faserfreiem Material nach einer bevorzugten Ausführung der Erfindung.

Below, examples and associated drawings explained in more detail. In these show:

FIG. 1

a plan view of the rear wall of a refrigerator and freezer according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in a schematic representation showing the arrangement of the compressor,

FIG. 2

a longitudinal section through the rear wall of the device of Figure 1, showing the attachment of a compressor carrier,

FIG. 3

1 is a plan view, similar to FIG. 1, of the rear wall of a refrigerator and freezer according to another preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the arrangement of the compressor;

FIG. 4

3 shows a longitudinal section through the rear wall of the device of FIG. 3, which shows the attachment of a compressor carrier in the rear wall in the region of its compressor niche,

FIG. 5

1 is a plan view similar to FIG. 1 of the back wall of a refrigerator and freezer, showing the arrangement of the compressor and a condenser, but not part of the invention;

FIG. 6

a longitudinal section through the rear wall of the device of Figure 5, which shows the attachment of a compressor carrier to the condenser,

FIG. 7

a sectional view of the refrigerant circuit in the region of the evaporator in a schematic representation showing the arrangement of a silencer in the gas expansion region behind a capillary tube mouth,

FIG. 8

a schematic representation of a silencer element made of steel wool according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 9

a schematic representation of a silencer element of porous, fiber-free material according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The refrigerator or freezer shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a refrigerant circuit with a compressor 1, which is in a conventional manner with an evaporator, not shown, and a condenser in combination. The compressor 1 is arranged in a niche 2, which is formed at the lower end of the rear wall 3 of the device. The niche 2 is formed by a paragraph of the rear wall 3 directed towards the interior of the refrigerator and extends transversely across the rear wall (see Figures 1 and 2).

The compressor 1 is attached to a compressor carrier 4. As Figure 2 shows, the compressor 1 is with his feet on vibration damping elements 19. About this he stands on the compressor carrier 4, which has a suitable footprint for this purpose. The compressor carrier 4 has a fastening section 5, which in the embodiment shown consists of two longitudinal members, which are connected to one another via two transverse struts (cf., FIG. 1). With the mounting portion 5 of the compressor carrier 4 is foamed, so that it has no mechanical connection to the device housing. The refrigerator and freezer can in known manner an inner container 6 to 17, which is enclosed by a device housing on the outside. The space between the inner container 6 and the device housing on the outside is foamed. The foaming 7 is shown in FIG. The compressor carrier 4 is foamed with its attachment portion 5 in the foaming 7, in the foaming of the rear wall of the device, as Figure 2 shows. The compressor 1 or the compressor carrier 4 is suspended in the foaming 7. As Figure 2 shows, the mounting portion sits in the vertical rear wall 3, which connects above the niche 2 to this. The cross struts of the mounting portion 5 give the foam higher strength, so that the compressor support 4 is anchored sufficiently firmly. Without being specifically shown, the condenser can also be foamed on the rear wall 3 and also mechanically decoupled from the device housing. Thus, compressor and condenser form a resonant circuit, which has no metallic connection with the rest of the housing of the device and therefore can not transmit structure-borne noise directly.

According to the embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4, the compressor carrier 4 can also be foamed into the rear wall 3 in the region of the niche 2. As Figure 4 shows, the compressor carrier 4 extends in the region of the vertical wall of the niche 2 in the foaming 7 of the rear wall. Overall, the compressor carrier 4 has a U-shaped configuration, wherein the open to the rear U is foamed with two L-shaped adjoining legs in the niche 2 in the foaming 7. By foaming in the top of the niche 2, the weight forces of the compressor can be well absorbed. In addition, a suspension is given immediately above the center of gravity of the compressor, where no tilting moments can arise. As in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the compressor forms a resonant circuit, which has no metallic connection with the rest of the housing of the device and therefore can not transmit structure-borne noise directly.

According to Figures 5 and 6, which are not part of the invention, the compressor carrier 4 may also be suspended from the condenser 8. In this variant, the compressor carrier 4 is mechanically connected to the condenser 8. The condenser 8 is mechanically decoupled from the rest of the device, so that the compressor 1 and the condenser 8 form a mechanically separate resonant circuit. The condenser 8 is preferably foamed to the rear wall 3, so that indirectly the compressor 1 is attached to the foaming 7 of the rear wall 3. Otherwise, the embodiment of Figures 5 and 6 may correspond to those previously described in connection with Figures 1 and 2, so that reference will be made thereto and corresponding components are identified by the same reference numerals.

Furthermore, a silencer 10 is advantageously provided in the region of the evaporator 9. In order to expand the refrigerant pressurized by the compressor, a cross-sectional enlargement can be provided in a manner known per se in the refrigerant passage. As FIG. 7 shows, a capillary tube 11 can open into a trumpet-shaped channel tube 12, which is pushed over the end region of the capillary tube 11. In the gas expansion region behind the mouth of the capillary tube 11, the muffler 10 is introduced into the refrigerant passage.

The muffler 10 may be used as a metal fiber plug, preferably made of steel wool in the trumpet-shaped sewer pipe 12. Preferably, it fills the cross-section entirely. It sits in particular, as Figure 7 shows, directly on the mouth of the capillary 11th

In order to prevent crumbling of the fiber piece or a volatilization of individual fibers, the muffler 10 consists of a core of metal fiber material, which is enveloped by a sheath 13. The sheath 13 may consist of a very close-meshed fabric, which performs a filter function and prevents loosening of fibers and particles. The sheath 13 may have an opening 14 for the capillary tube 11, so that the capillary tube 11 can be inserted with its mouth 14 in the metal fiber body.

In order to prevent compressor damage or functional impairment by the release of metal fibers, may be provided as a muffler 10 and a damper element made of porous, fiber-free material. As shown in FIG. 9, this fiber-free damper element is preferably also shaped to be completely fills the cross section of the refrigerant channel after the mouth of the capillary tube 11. The refrigerant exiting the capillary tube 11 thus passes through the damper element.

Claims (10)

1. Refrigerating and/or freezing appliance, in particular refrigerating and/or freezing units such as refrigerator, chest freezer and the like, having an inner container (6) enclosed on the outside by an appliance housing, having a foam filling (7) between the inner container (6) and the appliance housing, and having a refrigerant circuit with an evaporator (9), a compressor (1) and a condenser (8), the compressor (1) being mounted on a compressor carrier (4) which has a fastening portion (5) for mounting the compressor carrier (4), characterized in that the compressor carrier (4) is incorporated in the foam filling (7) by way of its fastening portion (5) such that it is isolated mechanically from the appliance housing.
2. Refrigerating and/or freezing appliance according to Claim 1, in which the compressor carrier (4) is incorporated in the foam filling (7) in the region of a niche (2), which accommodates the compressor (1), in the rear wall (3) of the appliance.
3. Refrigerating and/or freezing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, in which the condenser (8) is foam-mounted in or on the region of the rear wall (3) of the appliance such that it is free of connections to the appliance housing which transmit structure-borne sound.
4. Refrigerating and/or freezing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, in which the refrigerant circuit has a sound absorber (10) in the region of the evaporator (9).
5. Refrigerating and/or freezing appliance according to Claim 4, in which the sound absorber (10) has an absorber element in the interior of the refrigerant circuit.
6. Refrigerating and/or freezing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, in which the sound absorber (10) is disposed at the mouth of a restrictor (11) connected between the evaporator (9) and the compressor (1), in particular at the capillary mouth (14) of a capillary tube (11) of the refrigerant circuit.
7. Refrigerating and/or freezing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, in which the sound absorber (10) provided is a flow element which slows down and/or evens out the refrigerant flow, in particular a porous flow filter.
8. Refrigerating and/or freezing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, in which the sound absorber (10) is an, in particular, metallic fibre body, preferably a steel-wool plug (16), which is introduced into the gas-expansion region of the refrigerant circuit.
9. Refrigerating and/or freezing appliance according to the preceding claim, in which the fibre body (16) is enclosed by a sheath (13) preferably made of close-meshed material.
10. Refrigerating and/or freezing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, in which the sound absorber (10) is a fibre-free, porous body (17) which is introduced into the gas-expansion region of the refrigerant circuit.

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