EP2160547A1

EP2160547A1 - Refrigeration device with ventilation assembly

Info

Publication number: EP2160547A1
Application number: EP08774097A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hans Gerd Keller; Renate Pradel
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2007-06-25
Filing date: 2008-06-16
Publication date: 2010-03-10
Also published as: CN101688727A; DE102007029189A1; RU2009147175A; WO2009000692A1

Abstract

A ventilation assembly is mounted in the interior space (25) of a refrigeration device and comprises a frame (1, 15), a ventilator (2) mounted on the frame (1, 15), and at least one auxiliary function element mounted on the frame (1, 15). The frame (1, 15) is designed as a multipart component consisting of a ventilator frame (1) which supports the ventilator (2) and an auxiliary part (15) which is attached to the outer side of the ventilator frame (1) and which supports the auxiliary function element.

Description

Refrigeration unit with fan unit

The present invention relates to a refrigerator such as a refrigerator or freezer with a housing enclosing an interior and a fan unit mounted in the interior. Such a fan unit can e.g. serve to intensify an air flow over a heat exchanger surface, so as to improve the cooling effect of the heat exchanger, or to equalize the temperature distribution in this by mixing the air of the interior.

Refrigerators are known in which the fan unit is combined with an interior lighting to a fan-light combination, which can be mounted as a pre-assembled assembly in the interior.

A problem of such fan-light combinations is that a satisfactory illumination of the interior can not be achieved with all refrigeration device models with a light placed at the location of the fan. In addition, the required lighting power depends on the dimensions of the interior. Since the waste heat emitted by the luminaire is proportional to its light output, it is inconvenient to install a luminaire with a power higher than that actually required. In a high-performance luminaire, a larger distance between the actual lamp and adjacent, possibly heat-sensitive parts of the fan-light combination or the refrigeration device housing is required as in a low-power. A performance-independent dimensioning of the lamp would thus lead to an inefficient use of space calculated just for small-sized refrigerators. If the outer dimensions of the lamp are chosen differently depending on the power of the lamp, a variety of types of lights or fan-light combinations is required for the production of different refrigeration models, so that the individual types only in small quantities and with Accordingly, high costs can be made. Object of the present invention is to provide a structure for a refrigeration device, which allows to manufacture different types of devices using a small number of different components.

The object is achieved in that in a refrigerator with a housing enclosing an interior and a fan unit mounted in the interior, comprising a frame, a fan mounted on the frame and at least one mounted on the frame additional functional element, the frame of several parts of a Fan-carrying fan frame and a mounted on an outer side of the fan frame, the additional functional element supporting additional part is composed. Thus, it is possible to use the fan frame uniformly in a variety of different types of refrigeration equipment and make an adjustment to the respective refrigerator type on the additional functional element.

The additional functional element is preferably anchored to the housing of the refrigeration device only via the fan frame. Thus, it is sufficient to provide on the housing unitary means for fixing the fan frame to allow the use of one and the same housing model for different, each differing in the additional functional device types.

Preferably, the additional functional element is a support part for a light source, so that fan unit and additional functional element together can form a fan-light combination. It is also conceivable, however, to use the same fan frame in a refrigerator model without additional functional element mounted thereon; a the function of this additional function element sensing element can then be mounted independently of the fan position elsewhere in the refrigerator housing.

A line for supplying the light source with operating energy is preferably guided from the housing to the light source via the fan frame. Since in general also the fan requires a line for the supply of operating energy, so both lines can be connected in one operation. In order to simplify the assembly, the line for supplying the lighting means may comprise a plug connection between the fan frame and the carrier part of the lighting means.

Furthermore, a mounting location for an electrical circuit module may be provided on an outer surface of the fan frame. Such an electrical

Circuit module may include, for example, the temperature control of the refrigerator.

By the circuit module is provided on the outer surface of the fan frame, the space occupied by him, if it is not available, can be used elsewhere; In particular, it can preferably be added to the region of the interior usable for refrigerated goods.

The fan unit may also be provided a mounting space for an air filter. The decision as to whether an air filter is to be mounted or allowed to be installed at the assembly location can be left to a user of the refrigeration device.

This mounting location is preferably defined by a frame attached to the fan frame on which the filter is mounted. Thus, in a device model in which the air filter is not provided, the frame omitted and so again saved space.

The fan unit is preferably separated from the useful area of the interior by a lining shell. While the fan frame for a variety of refrigeration appliance models may be uniform, the cladding shell is expediently adapted each model-specific to closely surround the fan frame and possibly the model-specific additional part, so that an efficient use of space is achieved.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Show it: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fan frame according to the invention, viewed obliquely from the front;

Fig. 2 is a view of the fan frame, seen obliquely from behind;

3 shows a first embodiment of a fan unit, in which the fan frame is combined with a first luminaire part;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a second fan unit, in which the

Fan frame is combined with a second light section;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the fan unit of Fig. 4 with an air filter mounted thereon;

6 shows the fan unit of FIG. 4 with an electrical additional module mounted thereon; FIG.

7 shows a schematic section through a refrigeration device in which the fan frame of FIG. 1 is mounted;

8 shows a schematic partial section through a refrigeration device with the fan unit of FIG. 3; and

9 shows a section analogous to FIG. 8 according to a modified embodiment.

In the fan frame 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a fan 2 known per se is accommodated, the cuboid frame of which is in each case square on the inlet and outlet sides. The fan 2 is inserted from above, guided by in the figure of the fan 2 hidden ribs of the frame 1, in a limited by side walls 3, 4 and a bottom plate 5 compartment. It is fixed in the compartment by mounting the frame 1 in the inner container of a refrigerator housing of known type under the ceiling and in contact with the rear wall of the inner container. The side walls 3, 4 of the frame 1 are rounded at a in Fig. 2 facing the viewer upper rear corner to adapt to the shape of the inner container. The bottom plate 5 is extended to the rear, to the rear wall of the inner container, by a grate 6, which forms an air intake opening of the fan frame 1.

On the output side of the fan 2, a frame 7 is fixed to the frame 1, which is provided to anchor thereto an air filter cartridge, for example, an activated carbon filter, with the aid of protruding from the frame 7 latching hooks 8. Similar snap hooks 8 'of the fan frame 1 serve to anchor the frame 7 to the fan frame. 1

On the outside of the side wall 4, a first additional module 9 is attached. In a housing 10 of the additional module 9, a transformer 1 1 is housed, which converts the voltage of the light network to which the refrigerator is connected, for example 220V AC voltage in the operating voltage of the fan 2, for example, 12V DC voltage. A switch, not shown in the figure, via which the fan 2 is switched on and off, is arranged between the light network and the transformer, so that, as long as the fan 2 is not in operation, and the transformer 1 1 no waste heat in the Releases refrigeration device.

A coupling plate 12 of the fan frame 1 extends above the filter frame 7 beyond this forward. An upwardly open channel 13 at the front edge of the coupling plate 12 is provided to hook therein a complementary anchoring hook 14 (see Fig. 8) of a support member for a lighting means.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a fan assembly formed by the fan frame 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and a support member 15 suspended therefrom for a lighting means. A base body 18 of the support member 15 here has approximately the shape of a largely hollow, upwardly open flat cuboid, on the underside of an approximately semi-cylindrical projection 16 is formed, which serves to receive a lamp holder. By the anchoring hook 14 is formed at the upper edge of the back of the cuboid 18 and the back is supported in its lower region on the fan frame 1, the support member 15 is stably held on the fan frame 1, so that it is sufficient for the assembly of the fan assembly in a refrigeration device to anchor the fan frame 1 by screwing, latching or other suitable manner in the housing of the refrigerator without a direct connection of the support member 15 is required with the refrigeration appliance housing.

A cup-shaped screen 17, in which it may be added to the evacuated glass body of a conventional light bulb or in a conventional halogen bulb or an array of light emitting diodes, is in extension of the projection 16 from the front of the cuboid base body 18 from. Above the screen 17 protrudes a reflector plate 19 from the front of the main body 18 to the front. On the one hand, the reflector plate 19 has the function of reflecting downwards emitted light from the illuminant into the interior of the refrigeration device; but it can also serve to protect an overlying inner container ceiling of the refrigerator from excessive heating by the light source.

4 shows a second embodiment of the fan unit according to the invention. The fan frame 1 and the support part 15 are the same as shown in Fig. 3. In order to operate a more powerful light source, only the cup-shaped screen 17 is replaced by a generously dimensioned. This allows the use of the same model of fan unit in different models of refrigerators, each differing in the dimensions of the interior to be illuminated.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the fan assembly, which differs from that shown in Fig. 3 by two independently realizable aspects. The first of these aspects is a filter cartridge 20 which is locked in the frame 7.

The second aspect is a so-called winter switch 21, which is arranged on the carrier part 15 and which can be closed in order to enable the operation of the illuminant even with the door closed. This measure is useful if the refrigeration device in which the fan unit is used, a combination device with a cooling and a freezer compartment, which are cooled in a common refrigerant circuit. In such a refrigerator are generally on the normal refrigeration compartment attributable proportion of the cooling capacity and the proportion attributable to the freezer compartment in a fixed ratio. If the device is operated in a room with a low ambient temperature, the cooling requirement of the normal refrigeration compartment decreases much more than that of the freezer compartment, and if the refrigeration is controlled in a conventional manner based on the temperature prevailing in the normal refrigeration compartment, the freezer compartment is no longer sufficiently cooled. In such a case, the normal cooling compartment can be specifically heated by the lamp is operated with the door closed as a ballast heat source. As a result, the cooling requirement of the normal refrigeration compartment is artificially increased, so that the freezer compartment is sufficiently cooled.

The heating power required for operation as a ballast heat source is considerably lower than the nominal power of a light bulb or halogen bulb of typically 15 to 25 watts, which is useful as a light source. In order to enable continuous operation as a ballast heat source, the light source is preferably supplied with alternating voltage and connected in series with a condenser to the winter switch 21.

Fig. 6 shows a modified embodiment of the fan assembly, in which on the side facing away from the housing 10 side wall 3 of the fan frame 1, a further electronic module 22 is mounted. In this electronic module 22, for example, a temperature sensor, a controller, on which a user can set a desired interior temperature of the refrigerator, and a comparator circuit can be summarized based on the detected by the sensor actual temperature and the target temperature set on the controller decides on the operation or non-operation of a refrigerant compressor 23. By a single cable, the wires for both the power supply of the electronic module 22 as well as the fan 2 and the bulb and signal lines for controlling a compressor 23 (see Fig. 7), is guided through the housing of the refrigerator, the wiring is simplified and minimizes the number of required housing breakthroughs.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic section through a refrigeration device, in which the fan frame 1 shown in Fig. 1 is installed in an upper rear corner of the interior 25 thereof. The fan frame 1 is in any suitable manner, for example by locking in cut into a solid inner skin of the housing 27 openings in the position shown locked. A shell 26, which closely surrounds the fan frame 1 and is provided with openings 28, 29 for the entry and exit of air, is mounted on the fan frame 1. The compressor 23 is housed in a conventional manner in a rear niche of the refrigerator housing.

Fig. 8 shows a schematic partial section through a refrigeration device in which the fan unit shown in Fig. 4 is mounted. The fan frame is the same as in Fig. 1. In the gutter 13 of the anchoring hook 14 of the support member 15 is mounted. A supply cable 30 extends between a mains connection and the refrigerant compressor 23, not shown in this figure, on the one hand, and a distributor 37 on the fan frame 1, on the other hand, through an insulating material layer 31 of the housing. From the distributor 37, a cable 32 supplying the fan 2 and a cable 33 supplying the light source go out. It can be provided that the cable 33 is connected to the distributor 30 only after assembly of the fan frame 1 and carrier part 15; preferred is an embodiment in which in each case a portion of the cable 33 in the fan frame 1 and a second part in the support member 15 is pre-assembled and connect the two parts connecting connectors by the assembly of the fan frame 1 with the support member 15 with each other.

Since the tray 26 shown in Fig. 7 for the support member 15 does not offer space, here another model of shell 26 'is provided, in addition to the fan frame 1 and the

Main body 18 of the support member 15 takes place. The screen 17 and the reflector plate 19 project from openings of the shell 26 '. Therefore, the shell 26 'for different

Models of fan units are used, which are essentially only in the

Benefits of their bulbs and the consequent dimensions of the screen 17 differ.

The air outlet openings 29 are arranged in an approximately central region of the shell 26 ', between the air inlet opening 28 and the screen 17. The air flow from the fan 2 partially blocking projection 16 of the support member 15 is beveled at its the fan 2 facing rear to guide the air flow of the fan 2 to the outlet opening 29. A septum 34 of the shell 26 'contacts the frame 7 to prevent air from circulating around the frame 7, bypassing the filter, in the event that a filter is attached to the frame 7. Another Separate wall 35 touches the outside of the fan frame 1, to prevent the air flow of the fan 2 is short-circuited within the housing 27 '.

As shown in FIG. 9, the complete carrier part 15, including the reflector plate 19, can also be located inside a shell designated here by 26 ", in which case the screen 17 surrounding the illuminant is replaced by a transparent region 36 of the shell 26". The fan units of Figures 8 and 9 thus differ only by their shells. Thus, by replacing a single part significantly different appearances of the interior 25 can be realized.

Claims

claims

1. Refrigeration device with an interior (25) enclosing the housing (27) and in the interior (25) mounted fan unit, a frame (1, 15) mounted on the frame (1, 15) fan (2) and at least one additional functional element mounted on the frame (1, 15), characterized in that the frame (1, 15) consists of several parts of a fan frame (1) carrying the fan (2) and one attached to an outside of the fan frame (1), the additional functional element supporting additional part (15) is composed.

2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional functional element on the housing (27) of the refrigeration device is anchored only on the fan frame (1).

3. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the additional functional element is a carrier part (15) for a lighting means.

4. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that a line (32, 33) for supplying the illuminant with operating energy from the housing (27) for

Light source over the fan frame (1) is guided.

5. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that the line (32, 33) comprises a plug connection between the fan frame (1) and the carrier part (15) of the lighting means.

6. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an assembly space for an electrical circuit module (22) on an outer surface of the fan frame (1) is provided.

7. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fan unit has a mounting space for an air filter (20).

8. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a cladding shell (26 ', 26 "), which separates the fan unit of a useful range of the interior (25).