EP1580503B1

EP1580503B1 - Temperature control apparatus for use in a carbonator of a refrigerator

Info

Publication number: EP1580503B1
Application number: EP05006582A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sang In Shin
Original assignee: Daewoo Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: WiniaDaewoo Co Ltd
Priority date: 2004-03-26
Filing date: 2005-03-24
Publication date: 2008-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 2025-03-24
Also published as: EP1580503A1; DE602005009418D1

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator equipped with a carbonator comprising a temperature control apparatus and more particularly, a refrigerator equipped with a carbonator comprising a temperature control apparatus which is capable of controlling the temperature of the carbonator by using cool air inside the refrigerator and warm air outside the refrigerator.
Recently, some of home refrigerators have been designed to produce carbonated water by dissolving carbon dioxide into chilled water and supply it to a user through a dispenser installed in a refrigerator door.
For example, a conventional carbonated liquid supplying system for use in a refrigerator is disclosed in US Pat No. 4,866,949 , entitled "CARBONATED LIQUID REFRIGERATION SYSTEM" and its front plan view is shown in Fig. 1 wherein the carbonator 3 is located in a freezer door 1 and supplies carbonated water to a liquid dispenser 2.
Further, in US Pat No. 4,866,949 , there is also disclosed a refrigeration system for cooling the carbonator, which includes an evaporator disposed in the inside of or around the carbonator 3, and for absorbing heat from the inside of the carbonator 1, and a condenser disposed in the inside of the freezer compartment for dissipating the heat absorbed from the carbonator 1 to the freezer compartment. The evaporator and the condenser are formed of tubes and connected to each other, and a refrigerant circulates therein.
However, the refrigeration system for cooling the carbonator disclosed US Pat No. 4,866,949 has a problem that its complicated construction and the refrigerant separately used therein increase the manufacturing time and cost.
US 5,484,538 shows a portable multiple service apparatus for purifying and disinfecting water from potable or non-potable water sources and dispensing cold water from the purified/ disinfected water. The apparatus comprises a freezer unit for making ice cubes from the purified water. Cool air from the freezer unit is diverted to the chiller unit for cooling the purified water. For this, a water reservoir is accommodated within a cavity in which cold air may circulate around the water reservoir. The circulated cool air enters the cavity through an inlet port and sorts through an outlet port that are both connected by separate air channels to the freezer compartment. The air channels may be opened/closed via valves that are controlled by a controller in response to the temperature inside the water reservoir measured by a temperature sensor. Furthermore, a fan may be disposed within the air channel to actively circulate the air around the water reservoir.
US-A-4,866,949 shows the features of the preamble of claim 1. In particular, this document shows a refrigerator having a door in which a recess accommodates a water reservoir which is connected to a carbonator. The covered recess is connected via two channels to a condenser located in the freezer compartment. Condensed water flows via two channels to the covered recess where it is evaporated when cooling down the water reservoir, and the evaporated water flows back to the condenser.
GB-A-2 160 847 shows a refrigerator incorporating a tapping device that includes a mixing station. A waterline is connecting the mixing station with the water container provided in the ice box of the refrigerator. Furthermore, a pressure gas cartridge attached to the water container generates pressure. Upon depressing a key water and concentrate may be tapped into a cup positioned in a recess of the refrigerator door.
JP 2005024119 A shows a refrigerator wherein a cool water tank is installed on the inside of the refrigerator door adjacent to the freezer chamber. Cool air leaking ports are formed in the inside door of the freezer in order to circulate cool air around the cool water tank.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator equipped with a carbonator comprising a temperature control apparatus, which has a simple construction and is operated without a refrigerant.
The invention achieves the object with the subject-matters of independent claims 1 and 6, respectively. Preferred embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 provides a front plan view of a refrigerator having a conventional carbonated liquid supplying system and a conventional refrigeration system for cooling a carbonator;
Fig. 2 shows a schematic front plan view of a refrigerator in which a temperature control apparatus for use in a carbonator of a refrigerator in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is installed;
Fig. 3 describes a partial cross-sectional diagram of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 2 taken along the lines 3-3 and illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 4 sets forth a partial cross-sectional diagram of a modified embodiment of the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 3; and
Fig. 5 depicts a bottom plan view of a cover of the modified embodiment shown in Fig. 4.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings.
Referring to Fig. 2, there is illustrated a schematic front plan view of a refrigerator having a temperature control apparatus installed therein for use in a carbonator of a refrigerator in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator includes a hinged freezer door 10 for closing or opening a freezer compartment 60; a carbonator 11 constituted by a box-shaped container and mounted on an inner surface of the freezer door 10; a dispenser 12 for selectively discharging a chilled water and a carbonated water; a water tank 13 for supplying water to the carbonator 11; and a carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage cylinder 15 for supplying carbon dioxide gas to the carbonator 11.
Fig. 3 illustrates a partial cross-sectional diagram of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 2 taken along the lines 3-3 and illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 3, the carbonator 11 is mounted in a recessed portion 20 formed in the inner surface of the freezer door 10. Connected to an upper portion of the carbonator 11 are a water supply tube 51 for transferring water from the water tank 13 to the carbonator 11 and a gas exhaust tube 16 for discharging the carbon dioxide gas in the carbonator 11 to the outside of the refrigerator. And, connected to a lower portion of the carbonator 11 are a gas supply tube 54 for transferring carbon dioxide gas from the CO₂ storage cylinder 15 to the carbonator 11 and a carbonated water outlet tube 53 for transferring a carbonated water from the carbonator 11 to a nozzle 12a of the dispenser 12. Installed on an outer surface of or in the inside of the carbonator 11 is a temperature sensor 29 which detects whether the temperature of the carbonator 11 is equal to or less than a predetermined temperature and then transmits a signal to a controller 55.
The recessed portion 20 has a size slightly greater than that of the carbonator 11 so that the carbonator 11 can be housed therein. Between the carbonator 11 and inner surface of the recessed portion 20, a plurality of protrusion members 21 made of an insulating material are disposed in such a manner that the carbonator 11 is fixedly installed in the recessed portion 20 with five sides of the carbonator 11 spaced apart from the inner surface of the recessed portion 20 while forming gaps therebetween as deep as the height of the protrusion members 21.
At the front of the recessed portion 20, a cover 30 is provided to overlay the recessed portion 20 and the carbonator 11 mounted therein. The cover 30 is fixed to the inner surface of the freezer door 10 by screws (not shown) or the like. Between the inner surface of the cover 30 and the carbonator 11, a plurality of the protrusion members 21 are disposed to form a gap as deep as the height of the protrusion members 21 between the inner surface of the cover 30 and the back side of the carbonator 11.
In the freezer door 10 at upper and lower ends of the cover 30, an inlet channel 25 and an outlet channel 24 are formed, respectively. The inlet channel 25 and the outlet channel 24 are intended for establishing communication between the recessed portion 20 and the freezer compartment 60. And solenoid valves 26a and 26b controlled by the controller 55 are installed at the inlet channel 25 and the outlet channel 24, respectively.
In the inlet channel 25 and the outlet channel 24, an outlet opening 125 of an outlet path (not shown) and an inlet opening 124 of an inlet path (not shown) are formed, respectively, both paths being intended for establishing communication between the recessed portion 20 and the outside of the refrigerator. The inlet path serves to introduce warm air outside the refrigerator into the recessed portion 20, whereas the outlet path serves to discharge the air in the recessed portion 20 to the outside of the refrigerator. Moreover, at the outlet opening 125 and the inlet opening 124, solenoid valves 126a and 126b controlled by the controller 55 are installed, respectively.
Further, a fan device 31 is installed at the outlet channel 24 to forcedly discharge the air in the recessed portion 20 to the inside of the refrigerator, i.e., the freezer compartment 60. Moreover, a separate fan device (not shown) may be installed at the inlet channel 25 without or in addition to the fan device 31 to forcedly blow the cool air in the freezer chamber 60 into the recessed portion 20.
The controller 55 controls the solenoid valves 26a, 26b, 126a and 126b in response to the signal from the temperature sensor 29. If the controller 55 receives the signal from the temperature sensor 29, the controller 55 controls the solenoid valves 26a and 26b to block the inlet channel 25 and the outlet channel 24, and controls the fan device 31 to stop its operation. Then, the supply of the cool air of the freezer compartment 60 to the recessed portion 20 is shut off so that the temperature of the carbonator 11 does not lowered. In addition, at this time, the controller 55 controls the solenoid valves 126a and 126b to open the outlet opening 125 and the inlet opening 124, so that the warm air outside the refrigerator is introduced into the recessed portion 20 through the inlet path and the inlet opening 124 to flow into the gaps formed between the carbonator 11 and the inner surfaces of the recessed portion 20 and the cover 30 to raise the temperature of the carbonator 11. And, the air in the recessed portion 20 is discharged to the outside of the refrigerator through the outlet opening 125 and the outlet path.
In contrast, if the temperature of the carbonator 11 becomes higher than the predetermined temperature, for example, because relatively warm water is supplied to the carbonator 11 from the water tank 13, the controller 55 controls the solenoid valves 126b and 126a to block the inlet opening 124 and the outlet opening 125, respectively, and controls the solenoid valves 26a and 26b to open the inlet channel 25 and the outlet channel 24. So, the warm air is not supplied to the recessed portion 20 from the outside of the refrigerator and the cool air in the freezer compartment 60 is supplied to the recessed portion 20 and then flows through the gaps formed between the carbonator 11 and the inner surfaces of the recessed portion 20 and the cover 30 to cool down the carbonator 11. At this time, the controller 55 controls the fan device 31 to start its operation so that the supply of the cool air from the freezer compartment 60 to the recessed portion 20 is facilitated.
Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional diagram of a modified embodiment of the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 3, wherein like parts to those of the preferred embodiment of the present invention are represented by like reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted for simplicity.
As shown in Fig. 4, at the front of the recessed portion 20, a cover 30a for overlaying the recessed portion 20 and the carbonator 11 mounted therein is provided, which is fixed to the inner surface of the freezer door 10 by screws (not shown) or the like. Between the carbonator 11 and the inner surfaces of the recessed portion and the cover 30a, a plurality of the protrusion members 21 are disposed to form gaps therebetween as deep as the height of the protrusion members 21.
The cover 30a has an empty inner space 37 formed therein. Further, as shown in Fig. 5, the cover 30a has an inlet through hole 32 and an outlet through hole 33 formed in an upper and lower portion of a base plate of the cover 30a, respectively. The inner space 37 communicates the recessed portion 20 through the inlet through hole 32 and the outlet through hole 33. The relatively warmer air in the recessed portion 20 flows into the inner space 37 through the inlet through hole 32 and then is cooled in the inner space 37 indirectly by the cool air of the freezer compartment 60. The air cooled in the inner space 37 descends to the lower portion of the inner space 37 and then flows into the recessed portion 20 through the outlet through hole. The carbonator 11 is then cooled down by help of the air circulation between the recessed portion 20 and the inner space 37 of the cover 30a.
Further, the outlet opening 125 of the outlet path (not shown) and the inlet opening 124 of the inlet path (not shown) are formed at the upper and the lower portion of the recessed portion 20, respectively. As similar as in the preferred embodiment, both paths are intended for establishing communication between the recessed portion 20 and the outside of the refrigerator. And, at the outlet opening 125 and the inlet opening 124, solenoid valves 126a and 126b controlled by the controller 55a are installed, respectively.
The controller 55a controls the solenoid valves 126a and 126b in response to the signal from the temperature sensor 29. If the controller 55a receives the signal indicating that the temperature of the carbonator 11 is equal to or less than a predetermined temperature from the temperature sensor 29, the controller 55a controls the solenoid valves 126a and 126b to open the outlet opening 125 and the inlet opening 124. Then, the warm air outside the refrigerator is introduced into the recessed portion 20 through the inlet path and the inlet opening 124. In addition, the air in the recessed portion 20 is discharged to the outside of the refrigerator through the outlet opening 125 and the outlet path. Thus, the temperature of the carbonator 11 mounted in the recessed portion 20 is raised by the warm air flowing through the gaps formed between the carbonator 11 and the inner surfaces of the recessed portion 20 and the cover 30a.
On the other hand, if the temperature of the carbonator 11 becomes higher than the predetermined temperature, the controller 55a controls the solenoid valves 126a and 126b to block the outlet opening 125 and the inlet opening 124, so that the carbonator 11 is cooled down by the air circulation between the recessed portion 20 and the inner space 37.
As described above, the temperature control apparatus for use in a carbonator of a refrigerator in accordance with the present invention has a construction in which the temperature of the carbonator mounted in the recessed portion of the freezer door is controlled by the cool air inside the refrigerator and the warm air outside the refrigerator.
While the invention has been shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

A refrigerator equipped with a carbonator (11) comprising a temperature control apparatus wherein the temperature control apparatus comprises:
a cover (30; 30a) overlaying the carbonator (11) mounted in a recessed portion (20) formed in an inner surface of a door (10) of the refrigerator; and

an outlet opening (125) of an outlet path and an inlet opening (124) of an inlet path that are formed in the recessed portion (20), the outlet path and the inlet path being formed in the door (10) of the refrigerator to establish communication between the recessed portion (20) and another part;
characterised in by further comprising:
a pair of valve devices (126a, b), installed at the outlet opening (125) and the inlet opening (124), respectively, wherein the outlet path and the inlet path establish communication between the recessed portion (20) and the outside of the refrigerator;

a temperature sensor (29), installed in the carbonator (11), for detecting a temperature of the carbonator (11) and generating a signal when the detected temperature is equal to or less than a predetermined temperature; and

a controller (55) for controlling the pair of the valve devices (126a, b) in response to the signal from the temperature sensor (29),

wherein if the controller (55) receives the signal from the temperature sensor (29), the controller (55) controls the pair of the valve devices (126a, b) to open the outlet opening (125) and the inlet opening (124), so that warm air outside the refrigerator is introduced into the recessed portion (20) through the inlet path and the inlet opening (124) to raise the temperature of the carbonator.
The refrigerator equipped with a carbonator (11) of claim 1, wherein the temperature control apparatus further comprises a plurality of protrusion members (21) disposed between the carbonator (11) and an inner surface of the recessed portion (20) to form a gap therebetween.
The refrigerator equipped with a carbonator (11) of claim 1, wherein the temperature control apparatus further comprises a pair of cooling valve devices (26a, b) which are installed at a cool air inlet channel (25) and a cool air outlet channel (24), respectively, the cool air inlet channel (25) and the cool air outlet channel (24) being formed in the door (10) of the refrigerator, to establish communication between the recessed portion (20) and an inside of the refrigerator,
wherein if the controller (55) receives the signal from the temperature sensor (29), the controller (55) controls the pair of the cooling valve devices (26a, b) to block the cool air inlet channel (23) and the cool air outlet channel (24), so that supply of cool air from the inside of the refrigerator to the recessed portion (20) through the cooling inlet channel (25) is shut off and that discharge of air from the recessed portion (20) to the inside of the refrigerator through the cool air outlet channel (24) is shut off.
The refrigerator equipped with a carbonator (11) of claim 3, wherein the temperature control apparatus further comprises a fan device (31), installed at the cool air outlet channel (24), for forcedly discharging air in the recessed portion (20) to the inside of the refrigerator,
wherein if the controller (55) receives the signal from the temperature sensor (29), the controller (55) controls the fan device (31) to stop its operation.
The refrigerator equipped with a carbonator (11) of claim 1, wherein the cover (30a) has an empty inner space (37) formed therein, and an inlet through hole (32) and an outlet through hole (33) formed in an upper portion and a lower portion of a base plate thereof, respectively for establishing communication between the recessed portion (20) and the inner space (37),
wherein air in the inner space (37) is cooled down by cool air inside the refrigerator and then flows into the recessed portion (20) through the outlet through hole (33).
A refrigerator equipped with a carbonator (11) comprising a temperature control apparatus, wherein the temperature control apparatus comprises:
a cover (30; 30a) overlaying the carbonator (11) mounted in a recessed portion (20) formed in an inner surface of a door (10) of the refrigerator;
characterised in by further comprising:
a temperature sensor (29) installed in the carbonator (11) and for generating a signal if a temperature of the carbonator (11) is equal to or less than a predetermined temperature;

a pair of cooling valve devices (26a, b) which are installed at a cool air inlet channel (25) and a cool air outlet channel (24) respectively that are formed in the door (10) of the refrigerator, to establish communication between the recessed portion (20) and an inside of the refrigerator;

a controller (55) for controlling the pair of the cooling valve devices (26a, b) in response to the signal of the temperature sensor (29),

wherein if the controller (55) receives the signal from the temperature sensor (29), the controller (55) controls the pair of the cooling valve devices (26a, b) to block the cool air inlet channel (25) and the cool air outlet channel (24), so that supply of cool air from the inside of the refrigerator to the recessed portion (20) through the cooling inlet channel (25) is shut off and that discharge of air from the recessed portion (20) to the inside of the refrigerator through the cool air outlet channel (24) is shut off.
The refrigerator equipped with a carbonator (11) of claim 6, wherein the temperature control apparatus further comprises a fan device (31) installed at the cool air outlet channel (25) and for forcedly discharging air in the recessed portion (20) to the inside of the refrigerator,
wherein if the controller (55) receives the signal from the temperature sensor (29), the controller (55) controls the fan device (31) to stop its operation.