EP1977176B1

EP1977176B1 - A cooling device

Info

Publication number: EP1977176B1
Application number: EP06830485A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ahmet Dincer; Veysi Ercan; Atilla Tuncer; Mehmet Yildirim
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2005-12-30
Filing date: 2006-12-08
Publication date: 2009-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 2026-12-08
Also published as: WO2007077095A3; EP1977176A2; WO2007077095A2; ATE449940T1; DE602006010745D1

Abstract

This invention relates to a cooling device (1), which comprises chambers (3) to be opened and closed with the coded locks (6).

Description

This invention relates to a cooling device comprising lockable chambers.
Cooling devices, particularly the refrigerators, comprise a body, one or more chambers providing different cooling conditions or multiple usable volumes in the body, and one or more shelves onto which food and beverage to be cooled are placed and one or more doors which provides access inside the body by opening and closing. As the chambers are designed to function in a way determined by the producer, not user or product specific, problems may arise in personal use or in special products such as medicines. For example, when medicines are stored in refrigerator chambers with doors, which cannot be locked, and with uncontrolled conditions, children and other people with restricted access can access medicines easily.
In a state of the art embodiment, in French patent document no. FR2689221 , a description is given of a cooling device having chambers with special doors to be opened by a key code system.
In another state of the art embodiment, in Belgium patent document no. BE1007630 , a description is given of a cooling device with several chambers cooled by a central system and key coded to be used separately.
In another state of the art embodiment, in Turkish Utility Model document no. TR2005-01467U , a description is given of a cooling device with an electronic control system, which can be controlled remotely. Another cooling device is known from DE 19 958 683 .
The object of this invention is the realization of a cooling device having chambers with controllable operational conditions and key coded to be used separately.
The cooling device realized in order to fulfill the objectives of the present invention is explicated in the first claim and other features are explicated in dependant claims.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device comprises more than one chamber with controllable internal conditions, the doors of which can be locked and opened by only personal codes.
The cooling device realized in order to fulfill the objectives of this invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:
Figure 1 - Is the perspective view of a cooling device.
Figure 2 - Is the perspective view of a cooling device with its doors and covers open.
Figure 3 - Is the schematic front view of a cooling device.
Figure 4 - Is the schematic side view of a cooling device.
Figure 5 - Is the schematic view of a lock and a cabinet.
Elements shown in figures are numbered as follows:

1. Cooling device
2. Cabinet
3. Chamber
4. Door
5. Cover
6. Lock
7. Control card
8. Sensor
9. Damper
10. Evaporator
11. Channel
12. Condenser
13. Compressor
14. Fan
15. Control panel
16. Magnet
17. Pin
18. Socket
19. Spring
20. Indicator

The cooling device (1) comprises a compressor (13), an evaporator (10) and a condenser (12) constituting the cooling cycle.
The cooling device (1) further comprises,

a cabinet (2) providing isolation from the external environment,
a door (4) providing access into the cabinet (2),
one or more chambers (3) in the cabinet (2), into which objects such as food, beverage, medicine to be kept cool belonging to the user are placed,
covers (5) at least as many as the chambers (3) placed between the door (4) and the chamber (3), providing individual access into each chamber (3),
a lock (6) positioned on each chamber (3), controlling access into the chamber (3) by enabling the cover (5) to be opened and closed using a code,
at least one fan (14) providing the circulation of the internal medium air cooled by providing air circulation over the evaporator (10),
at least two dampers (9) controlling the intake and the outflow of the cool air blown by the fan (14),
at least one sensor (8) which can make temperature measurement inside the chamber (3),
one or more channels (11) providing the cool air blown by the fan (14) to be transferred to the chamber (3),
a control panel (15) placed on the cabinet (2) or on the door (4), providing the entry of the commands related to all chambers (3) from a single location without opening the door (4), providing the user to enter a key code in order to open the lock (6), and enabling the user to select cooling parameters of the camber (3) the key code of which is entered correctly, and
a control card (7) providing execution of the commands entered using the control panel (15), controlling the cooling cycle, locking and unlocking the lock (6) of the chamber (3) the code of which is entered using the control panel (15).

In the embodiment of the present invention, the locks (6) on the chambers (3) are locked by the control panel (15) located on the door (4), the cabinet (2) or the chamber (3). The user first enters a code definition by means of the control panel (15) for controlling the lock (6) of a chamber (3) and locks the lock (6) by means of the control card (7). Thus, even though one can access into the refrigerator (19) by means of the door (4), the chamber (3) is inaccessible since the cover (5) is locked. The lock (6) controlling the chamber (3) is deactivated by entering the code using the control panel (15) and access into the chamber (3) is enabled. After the code entry is done using the control panel (15), the entered code is detected by means of the control card (7), and the lock (6) is unlocked if it matches with the code identified and recorded to the control card (7), otherwise the lock (6) is kept closed.
In this embodiment, a control card (7) is used which controls both the locks (6) and the cooling cycles of the chambers (3) closed by the locks (6), providing different temperature values in each chamber (3) by transferring the cool air passed over the evaporator (10) to the required chamber (3) in required amounts by means of the dampers (9) and the channels (11), if the correct code is entered.
The control card (7) controls the cooling cycles of the cabinet (2) and the chambers (3), the operation of the fan (14) and the dampers (9) according to the data received from the sensors (8). These operations are realized by the control card (7) activating the dampers (9) according to the users choices. Thus, the cool air, passed over the evaporator (10) by means of the fan (14) and the cooling cycle, is transferred to the required chambers (3) in required amounts by means of the channels (11) and the dampers (9), wherein the temperature of the evaporator (10) is lower than the temperature of the medium. Thus, it is provided to have different temperature values in each chamber (3).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the lock (6) comprises a solenoid (16) placed on the chamber (3) or the cover (5), a pin (17) activated by the magnetic field created by the electrified solenoid (16), a socket (18) into which the pin (17) is inserted or from which the pin (17) is removed so as to open or close the cover (5), and a spring (19) providing the pin (17) to return to its original position, as the magnetic field loses its effect.
In this embodiment, the user provides the control card (7) to apply a voltage on the solenoid (16) by entering the code after the codes for the locks (6) which control the chambers (3) are identified. In this way, a magnetic field is created around the solenoid (16) and the magnetic field provides the activation of the pin (17). The activated pin (17) leaves the socket (18) and provides the cover (5) to be opened when needed. The pin (17) keeps its new position as long as the voltage is applied to the solenoid (16), when the voltage is cut off, moves back to its former position by way of the spring (19) and prevents the cover (5) from being opened by being inserted into the socket (18).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises an indicator (20), which is positioned on the control panel (15) and indicates the opened cover (5).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the lock (6) functions mechanically and controlled by an actuator, which is controlled by the control card (6).
In another embodiment of the present invention, if the cover (5) is not opened in a specific period of time determined by the producer the relocking of the cover is provided even the code is entered correctly. In this way, the chamber (3) is prevented from being open as a result of the users forgetfulness. If the user wants to access the chamber (3) at the end of this time period, he has to re-enter the code using the control panel (15) to open the lock (6).
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the control card (7) also enables the door (4) to be opened and closed with the code which is entered using the control panel (15) in order to open a chamber (3). In this embodiment the user can define another code for the door (4) when desired.
By way of the embodiment, which is the object of the present invention, by means of the control card (7), the covers (5) of one or more chambers (3) can be opened and closed using digital key codes. In this way, the users can use personal chambers (3) in the cooling devices (1) with their personal codes in places with a lot of people such as schools, hostels, hospitals, gyms.
Furthermore, the products needed to be conserved in specific temperatures such as medicine, etc are provided to be conserved in desired conditions, and the people who are supposed to be kept away such as children are prevented from being harmed.

Claims

A cooling device (1) comprising an evaporator (10), a cabinet (2) providing isolation from the external environment, a door (4) providing access into the cabinet (2), one or more chambers (3) positioned in the cabinet (2) into which the items needing to be kept cool and belonging to a user such as food, beverages and, medicines are placed, covers (5) at least as many as there are chambers (3) positioned between the door (4) and the chambers (3) providing individual access into each chamber (3), a lock (6) placed on each chamber (3) controlling access into the chamber (3) by enabling the cover (5) to be opened by a key code, characterized by at least one fan (14) providing the circulation of the internal medium air cooled by being passed over the evaporator (10), at least two dampers (9) controlling the intake and outflow of the cool air blown by the fan (14) inside of the chamber (3), at least one sensor (8) which detects the temperature inside the chamber (3), one or more channels (11) to transfer the cool air blown by the fan (14) to the chamber (3), and a control panel (15) located on the cabinet (2) or the door (4) providing the execution of the commands related to all the chambers (3) from a single location without opening the door (4) and providing the user to enter a code in order to open the lock (6) or enabling the selection of the cooling parameters of the chamber (3) if its code is entered correctly and a control card (7) providing the execution of the commands entered using the control panel (15), said control card controlling the cooling cycle and the opening and closing of the lock (6) of the chamber (3) wherein the code is entered using the control panel (15).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1 having a lock (6) comprising a solenoid (16) placed on the chamber (3) or the cover (5), a pin (17) actuated by the magnetic field created by the electrified solenoid (16), a socket (18) into which the pin (17) is inserted or from which the pin (17) is removed so as to open or close the cover (5), and a spring (19) providing the pin (17) to return to its former position as the magnetic field loses its effect.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1 or 2 having an indicator (20) positioned on the cover (5) and showing the open covers (5).
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above Claims having a control card (7) providing the opening and closing of the door (4) with the key code entered to open a chamber (3) using the control panel (15).
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above Claims having a control card (7) which controls both the locks (6) and the cooling cycles of the chambers (3) closed by the locks (6) and providing the realization of different temperature values in each chamber (3) by transferring the cool air passed over the evaporator (10) to the required chamber (3) in required amounts by means of the dampers (9) and the channels (11), if the correct code is entered.