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
  • F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
  • F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
  • F25D17/042—Air treating means within refrigerated spaces
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F6/00—Air-humidification, e.g. cooling by humidification
  • F24F6/02—Air-humidification, e.g. cooling by humidification by evaporation of water in the air
  • F24F6/04—Air-humidification, e.g. cooling by humidification by evaporation of water in the air using stationary unheated wet elements
  • F24F6/043—Air-humidification, e.g. cooling by humidification by evaporation of water in the air using stationary unheated wet elements with self-sucking action, e.g. wicks
• • 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
  • F25D25/00—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
  • F25D25/02—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled by shelves
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F2221/00—Details or features not otherwise provided for
  • F24F2221/48—HVAC for a wine cellar
• • 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
  • F25D23/06—Walls
  • F25D23/065—Details
  • F25D23/067—Supporting elements
• • 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
  • F25D2317/04—Treating air flowing to refrigeration compartments
  • F25D2317/041—Treating air flowing to refrigeration compartments by purification
  • F25D2317/0411—Treating air flowing to refrigeration compartments by purification by dehumidification
• • 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
  • F25D2325/00—Charging, supporting or discharging the articles to be cooled, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
  • F25D2325/023—Shelves made of wires

Definitions

• the invention relates to a humidification device of a wine bottle storage cabinet or the like.
• the invention also relates to a wine bottle cabinet or the like comprising such a humidification device, as well as to a continuous humidification process of a wine cabinet by using the natural convection of the air contained in the bottle. enclosure of such a cabinet.
• the present invention will find application in the field of the conservation of wine in bottles.
• Such wine cellars are either in the form of rooms isolated and closed by a door and provided with devices for regulating physical parameters, such as temperature, or in the form of cabinets with thermal insulation and provided with heating devices. analogous regulation.
• These wine cellars are, according to their design and volume, adapted to the desired use and to the premises of destination: apartment or cellar of particular, restaurant, cellar, warehouse.
• An essential principle of wine preservation in a cellar is that it usually takes more than 70% humidity to keep the corks in their optimal state.
• the wine cabinets, especially of apartment, can be installed in a heated room where the usual humidity rate can be between 35 to 45%, especially in winter.
• French Patent No. FR 1 258 765 discloses a saturator for increasing the water vapor content of a heated room by a central heating installation.
• This housing consists of a housing mounted on the side of a central heating radiator.
• This housing comprises a water tank with free surface, containing absorbent material blocks partially immersed and able to promote the evaporation of the water contained in the ambient air.
• This ambient air is forced using a fan which is located in the housing, above this tank, and which sucks the ambient air at a first opening on a side wall of the housing opposed to the radiator, in view of projecting it, after wetting it in contact with the wet absorbent material, to the radiator through a second opening on the side of the latter.
• This saturator is designed to be applied directly to a source of heat energy production, in this case a heating radiator. It does not allow the circulation of exchange air between the interior volume of the chamber to be moistened and the blocks of absorbent material, but only an exchange between these blocks and the flow of air forced by the fan between the two openings of the case.
• a humidifier consisting of a housing mounted directly in front of a heating or ventilation mouth disposed vertically at one of the side walls of a room.
• this housing includes a reservoir containing blocks of absorbent material partially immersed in water to promote evaporation in the ambient air.
• the passage of this ambient air by the humidifier housing is unavoidable, it being arranged to extend the heating or ventilation mouth that it occults.
• This system only works when outside air is injected into the room to be humidified.
• This humidifier does not allow circulations of exchange air between the interior volume of the chamber to be moistened and the blocks of absorbent material, but only between these blocks and the forced air flow from the heating or ventilation mouth towards another opening facing the interior of the room.
• Every wine cabinet must have a ventilation device by exchange with the atmosphere of the room. This exchange is conventionally performed by one or more orifices formed on one of the walls of the cabinet.
• a Japanese patent application JP-2003/46525 is thus known, showing an evaporation humidification means located in a chamber of a wine cabinet.
• a condensate tray is at the bottom of the room.
• the condensate generated by a refrigeration unit is used to constitute the humidifying means, and may be supplemented by a supply of water.
• the evaporation surface is constituted by the flat surface of the liquid in this tank, which therefore requires rather large dimensions. It is also useful, in some cases, to multiply these trays in a cabinet to obtain a sufficient evaporation surface. Now, such a tray occupies the place of several bottles, often a complete row, and consequently reduces the capacity of a cupboard. In addition, it completely condemns certain areas of this cabinet, especially the lower part, generally sought to store wines requiring the lowest temperature.
• each compressor cooling cycle results in a decrease of the humidity level of 10 to 20% within 1 pregnant.
• a Japanese patent application JP2004285743 describing a structure comprising shelves, is known. These shelves are formed of upper and lower walls. Moisture capture means is disposed in the gap between these walls. Its use may be desiccation or, conversely, the maintenance of a humid atmosphere in the volume of the cabinet housing the shelves, by diffusion of water vapor through holes in one of the walls. A substantial part of the volume of the cabinet is thus consumed by such shelves, much thicker than their support function requires. This inevitably results, in a wine cellar, by the loss of a storage capacity of several bottles.
• the present invention is intended to respond to this problem, providing a reliable solution, implementing a device of limited volume, and easy handling.
• the invention relates to a humidification device for a wine bottle storage cabinet, comprising a container with a bottom and peripheral side walls, characterized in that:
• the tray is defined in a manner adapted to contain a regulated level of liquid
• this tray is disposed at least one block of absorbent material of high specific surface area;
• At least one peripheral side wall of the tray is defined adapted to be applied, through bracing means, against an inner wall of said cabinet, so as to define an air passage;
• the block of absorbent material is emerging, at least in part, above the regulated level of liquid; above this regulated level of liquid the peripheral walls of the tank are defined so as to allow the circulations of exchange air between the interior volume of the wine bottle storage cabinet, and the block of absorbent material;
• the tray is defined capable of occupying a volume corresponding to the size of at least one bottle or at most an integer multiple of bottles.
• the invention also relates to a wine bottle storage cabinet, or the like, comprising such a humidification device, characterized in that it comprises:
• said humidifying device is located in the upper quarter of said cabinet,
• this humidification device defined, with the inner wall of said cabinet, an air circulation channel.
• said cooling means are designed to maintain said wall at a temperature above -5 ° C.
• a circulation of ambient air is maintained by a venturi effect in a circulation channel located in the upper quarter of said cabinet and delimited by the wall of the latter, on the one hand, and a wall of a tank of a humidifying device containing an absorbent material partially immersed in water, on the other hand.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic, partial and perspective representation of a tank constituting a humidification device according to the invention
• FIG. 2 is a cross section, in another embodiment, of a device according to the invention located inside a storage cabinet.
• FIG. 3 is an overall view from above, in perspective, and partially, inside the storage cabinet, in an embodiment similar to that of FIG. 1.
• the present invention relates to the field of the conservation of wine in bottles.
• the invention relates to a humidification device, especially for a bottle storage cabinet 1.
• Such a cabinet 1 comprises, preferably, a self-supporting structure 2 sized to withstand the load, which is important, represented by wines in bottles. It is designed to store as many bottles as possible.
• the structure 2 comprises an inner wall 3.
• this structure 2 At the front of this structure 2 is mounted, preferably pivoting, an access door, not shown in the figures, for confining the cabinet 1.
• Such a bottle storage cabinet 1 generally comprises means 20 for regulating the atmosphere inside the cabinet, including, in particular, refrigerating means 21. These means 20 and 21 are not shown in the figures.
• the humidification device consists of a tray 6.
• This tray 6 has a bottom 8, and peripheral side walls 9. It is open, or at least heavily perforated, in the upper part.
• This tray is designed capable of containing a liquid level 14, preferably water.
• This liquid level 14 is regulated.
• the level 14 of liquid is regulated through an overflow, in particular by the use of at least one overflow opening 12.
• the tray 6 contains at least one block of absorbent material 7 of high specific surface area, preferably a large exchange surface foam, impregnated with liquid, preferably water, and optimizing the exchanges between the liquid of the tank and the internal atmosphere.
• absorbent material 7 of high specific surface area, preferably a large exchange surface foam, impregnated with liquid, preferably water, and optimizing the exchanges between the liquid of the tank and the internal atmosphere.
• Other highly absorbent materials such as sponges, or the like, can also be used to capture and / or retain moisture in wine cabinets.
• this foam is similar to that used in floral art for pricking flower stems composing a presentation, while keeping these flowers irrigated for a long time.
• a material is chosen thanks to the combination of a large specific surface, a great ease of cutting and implementation, and a very low cost.
• This material is synthetic, not likely to cause a chemical reaction with the wine contained in the stored bottles, and is not subject to rapid alteration over time.
• this foam is a phenolic foam; such a foam can absorb about 40 times its weight of water.
• This material 7 highly absorbent, and having a large surface contact with the atmosphere, under a small volume, because of its high porosity, optimizes the exchanges between the reservoir liquid and the internal atmosphere.
• the block or blocks of absorbent material 7 are partly immersed in the liquid, if it exists, under level 14.
• the humidification of the interior volume of the cabinet 1 comes essentially from the vaporization of the water impregnating this or these blocks of absorbent material 7, in contact with the air contained in the cabinet.
• This vaporization is even better than the exchange between the air of the cabinet and the absorbent material 7 is facilitated, in particular by a flow of air around this absorbent material 7.
• This material, partly immersed, is in permanence remoistened by capillarity, in its emergent part which tends to be dried by a circulation of air.
• the cabinet air is permanently in contact with a wet surface.
• This contact surface is of very large dimensions in proportion to the small volume occupied by each block of absorbent material 7, because of the honeycomb structure of the material.
• the arrangement of the block or blocks of absorbent material 7, preferably such a foam, in the tray 6, therefore has the effect of substantially increasing the exchange surface with respect to a container filled with water.
• At least one peripheral side wall 9 of the tray 6 is defined capable of being applied, through spacer means 10, against an inner wall 3 of the cabinet 1, so as to define an air passage.
• the air circulation in the vicinity of the absorbent material 7 is all the better than a natural convection phenomenon, such as that which exists under the effect of the temperature difference between the bottom and the top of the 'cabinet, can be maintained. This is particularly the case if one has a tray 6 according to the invention in the vicinity, but not in contact, of an inner wall 3 of the cabinet 1.
• peripheral side walls 9 are defined so as to ensure a flow of exchange air between the interior volume of the wine bottle storage cabinet 1, and the one or more blocks of absorbent material 7.
• the tray 6 is defined capable of occupying a volume corresponding to the size of at least one bottle, that is, preferably, the size that would occupy at most a whole number of bottles, in the wine cabinet.
• the invention in a preferred embodiment, consists of a removable tray 6 substantially parailelepipedic, of comparable section to that of a bottle and length adjusted to the depth of the cabinet. It should be noted, in this respect, that it is usual in a wine cabinet to be able to arrange two rows of bottles in the direction of depth. Also, the tank according to the invention preferably represents a space equivalent to a bottle, or even two bottles. This arrangement makes it possible not to question the optimization of the interior space of the wine cellar, and to obtain the maximum capacity of filling. In particular we do not touch the spacing between the shelves.
• the number of trays 6 inside the cabinet is in no way limited by the space remaining available, depending on the number of bottles stored in the cabinet.
• the invention also makes it possible to use such a humidification device in an existing cabinet, without any modification of the latter.
• the tray 6 according to the invention can be moved at will inside the cabinet 1. This is possible because the humidification process of the cabinet 1 according to the invention is based on a natural convection the air contained in the enclosure of the cabinet 1, and it is not necessary to force the air flow, for example using fans or the like. As a result, no connection or connection to a fluid distribution network is necessary. And the tray does not need to be located near a device such as a fan permanently installed in a specific area of the cabinet.
• the level 14 of liquid in the tray 6 is regulated through an overflow.
• At least one of the peripheral side walls 9 of the tray 6 is designed able to define, with an inner wall 3 of said cabinet 1, a contact zone 13 at which this peripheral side wall 9 has at least one overflow opening 12.
• This overflow opening 12 is intended to be brought into contact with one of the inner walls 3 of the cabinet in a contact zone 13; the overflow thus flows on these walls 3, increasing the wetting power of the device according to the invention.
• the effect of vaporization during runoff is even better than the surface of the inner wall 3 of the cabinet 1 is rough, and the path of water is slow.
• the inner wall of the cabinet is made of conductive material, for example sheet metal, in particular aluminum, with a granular profile promote exchanges and the evaporation effect which alone can guarantee the required hygrometry. It is therefore advantageous to place the tray 6 at the top of the cabinet, particularly in the upper quarter (moreover, this area is the one whose humidification is the most difficult in a conventional manner).
• runoff water is collected at the bottom and rear of the cabinet in a receptacle tray, already existing on most wine cabinets.
• This tank is used to cool the pipes of the refrigeration circuit of the cooling means 21, always very hot, and this excess water is evaporated, without flow to the ground or nuisance such as a puddle.
• the bottle storage cabinet 1 should be provided with the most suitable refrigeration means 21.
• these usual refrigeration circuits incorporate an evaporator, generally under the shape of an aluminum plate in the case of the cabinet.
• This evaporator as soon as the compressor of the refrigerant circuit is started up, it is brought to a temperature of approximately -20 ° C. The ambient humid air immediately rises in contact with this evaporator, which thus attracts the humidity of the air from the pregnant, going against its humidification.
• the compressor When stopping the compressor, there is a gradual warming of the aluminum plate of the evaporator, and the melting of ice, which drains away to the outside.
• refrigerating means 21 of the circulation type embedded in the wall 3 of the cabinet 1 have been chosen.
• the surface temperature of this wall 3 then varies within a range of about 0 ° C. to -5 ° C. 0 C, and there is very little frost on the wall.
• this overflow opening 12 in contact with the inner wall 3 of the cabinet, also has the function of avoiding a possible overflow of the tray 6 inside the cabinet, that is to say say in the area where the bottles are stored.
• the recommended overflow system is also suitable for placing tray 6 at any point in the wine cabinet.
• a tray 6 may have several openings of overflow, it is possible to hide so as to use only those or those desired.
• all or part of the peripheral lateral walls 9 of the tray 6 comprise a height less than the height of a block of absorbent material 7, while being greater than the level 14 of liquid regulated in this tray 6.
• peripheral side walls 9 of the tray 6 comprise a height greater than the regulated level 14 of the tray 6, and these peripheral side walls 9 are perforated in the portion extending above this level 14.
• These peripheral side walls 9 comprise perforations 11 in this zone, so that a flow of air through these openings 11 directly meets one or more blocks of absorbent material 7, preferably placed in the vicinity of the walls 9 concerned. .
• the circulation of air in the vicinity of the absorbent material is all the better that a convection phenomenon can be maintained. This is particularly the case if one has a tray 6 according to the invention in the vicinity, but not in contact, of an inner wall 3 of the cabinet.
• This arrangement is obtained by the use of bracing means 10 between one or more peripheral side walls 9 of the tray 6, and the inner wall 3 of the cabinet 1.
• a chimney is thus created which, in combination with 11 possible openings of the peripheral side walls 9, creates a maintained air circulation allowing the exchange between this air and the block or blocks of absorbent material 7.
• the bracing means 10 are defined by lateral protuberances of the tray 6 at the level of the peripheral peripheral wall 9 which can be applied against the inside wall 3 of the cabinet 1.
• bracing means 10 may be designed in various forms: in the form of a boss of the tray 6, as in the example of Figure 1, or in the form of a return of a side wall 9 for example perpendicular to the latter, as in the case of Figure 2. Or in the form of spacers, pins, or other.
• the bracing means 10 are designed capable of defining, with the inner wall 3 of the cabinet 1, a contact zone 13 at the level of which an overflow opening 12 is provided, such as as shown in Figure 1.
• the defined peripheral wall 9, which can be applied, through spacer means 10, against an inside wall 3 of the cabinet, comprises a flange of designed hooking adapted to cooperate with complementary fastening means 5 defined at said inner wall 3 of the cabinet 1.
• this fastening flange team in a preferred embodiment, the end edge of the peripheral side wall 9 of the tray 6 defined height greater than that of a block of absorbent material.
• the bracing means 10 are formed capable of constituting means for hooking the tray 6 to a slide 5 or a rack 4, with which the tray 6 is compatible.
• the tray 6 can then slide like the shelves 4.
• the tray 6 can also be designed to be hooked directly to the shelves 4, or to be placed on these shelves 4, or on a bed of bottles.
• peripheral side walls 9 may constitute means for fastening the tray 6 to complementary hooking means such as a slide 5 or a shelf 4.
• the tray 6 has two overflow openings 12, located at different levels, in contact areas 13 that are designed able to define one or more peripheral side walls 9 of the tray 6 with the inner wall 3 of the cabinet 1, if necessary through bracing means 10.
• bins according to the invention in the same cabinet, is possible in special cases: to treat a strong ambient dryness in the room where the cabinet is located, in case of high frequency of door opening, or in case of prolonged absence or want to fill less often the tray.
• the system can be used in any cabinet or cellar, existing or new.
• At least one hygrometry probe is located in the cabinet 1 and connected by wired or wireless connection to hygrometry management means designed able to trigger the filling of the tray 6.
• the moisture management means may in particular be composed of:
• an emitter box comprising a probe and carrying out measurements of hygrometry; - and a receiver box.
• Such a hygrometer preferably electronic, currently allows the measurement of instantaneous humidity, the maximum and the minimum over a period. It can be installed anywhere in the cabinet. Usually, such a housing often combines measurements of temperature and humidity.
• a hygrometry probe directly at the tray 6, for example stuck in a block of absorbent material 7, connected by wired or wireless connection to the management management means, so as to regulate the humidity manually or automatically.
• the wireless transmission works effectively over several tens of meters; it is possible to connect several different probes on several separate channels, and to program a malfunction alarm, or threshold temperature and / or hygrometry, or other, at the receiver box.
• moisture management means can be integrated into a centralized management system (temperature control and / or hygrometry, and / or other), including computerized , so as to trigger, as the case may be, the operation of:
• the compressor of the refrigeration unit. a heating resistor.
• an electric humidification system such as a micro-pump, a valve, an electric ultrasonic nebulizer, or a membrane fogger, in order to humidify, or the atmosphere of the cabinet 1, or the block of absorbent material 7 contained in the tray 6.
• the hygrometry management means studied for cabinets, are transferable to wine cellars, or any other storage room.
• the invention also relates to a wine bottle storage cabinet or the like, equipped with a humidification device as described above.
• a cabinet comprises a hygrometry measurement probe connected by wired or wireless connection to hygrometry management means designed able to trigger the filling of the tray 6.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)

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• 2005
  • 2005-05-11 FR FR0551215A patent/FR2885678B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2006
  • 2006-05-11 WO PCT/FR2006/050431 patent/WO2007003808A2/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2006-05-11 EP EP06794416A patent/EP1880145A2/de not_active Withdrawn

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