EP2245395B1 - Refrigerating appliance comprising a no-frost system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator with an evaporator and at least one cooled by air circulation from and to the evaporator compartment. At one off DE 10 2005 021 560 A1 known refrigerator of this type is adjacent to the compartment to be cooled, a distribution chamber formed, which is separated from the compartment by a perforated wall. The holes may be covered by a nonwoven on the side of the distribution chamber to prevent a sharp jet of cold air from the distribution chamber from encountering and drying out sensitive items to be chilled in the compartment. However, the slowed down by the diffusion layer air flow can cause condensation from the compartment is only insufficiently dissipated. So refrigerated goods can be moist in the tray, which is also not desirable.

The relationship between the amount of moisture in the compartment and the coverage of the holes by the mat is not immediately obvious to a user, as the amount of moisture that the user observes in the compartment is primarily due to the amount of moisture Type of refrigerated goods stored therein. The likelihood is therefore high that a user does not handle the fleece properly and does not set the appropriate refrigerated goods appropriate storage conditions.

The patent US 5,357,765 shows a refrigeration device with a cooling compartment and a freezer, each having an inlet opening for an air flow. In this case, the air flow is controlled as a function of measured temperatures, wherein assignment values for a measured temperature are stored in a data memory of the refrigeration device, with which the air flow is controlled.

The patent US 4,513,579 shows how air is filtered for a freezer compartment, so that a moisture content of the air decreases in order to avoid ice formation in the freezer compartment. The patent WO 01/48431 A1 discloses a refrigeration device wherein the control unit is set up to offer the types of refrigerated goods possibly accommodated in the storage compartment for selection. The publication US 2003/0010056 A1 shows a refrigerator with a vegetable compartment, which is sealed against air flow.

Object of the present invention is to develop the known refrigeration device so that the likelihood of improper operation is reduced.

The object is achieved with the features of claim 1: Since the user can specify the desired circulation condition, in particular the degree of dehumidification of the subject content directly, he need not know the relationship between the position of the control and the resulting circulation conditions. In this case, the default of the user is usually based on an empirically determined value stored in a data store, however, the user may also change this value and store the changed value in another data store or overwrite the predetermined value with the changed value.

According to a first, simple embodiment, the control unit is set up to request the specified value by offering the user various values of the circulation condition for selection.

According to a further developed embodiment, which can be combined with the first embodiment in one device in the context of different operating modes, the control unit is set up to request the specified value by offering various types of refrigerated goods possibly accommodated in the storage compartment for selection and by means of a the type of item to be refrigerated specifies the user selecting a value of the circulation condition appropriate to the specified item to be refrigerated.

In order to be able to make the selection of the circulation condition correctly, an allocation table is preferably stored in the control unit, which in each case assigns suitable values of the circulation condition to a set of types of refrigerated goods.

Since different types of refrigerated goods may be accommodated in the storage compartment at the same time, the control unit should be able to adequately respond to an input of the user specifying a plurality of types of refrigerated goods. When the circulation condition is a quantitative quantity, that is, can be expressed in numbers indicating a larger-smaller ratio, the control unit is preferably arranged to select a value of the circulation condition to be set at the control which is at least as large as the lowest one specified type of refrigerated goods associated value and not greater than the highest of a specified type of refrigerated goods assigned value.

A rule for selecting the value of the circulation condition to be set upon inputting plural kinds of refrigerated goods may be specified by the user.

• Auswählen des jeweils niedrigsten einer angegebenen Art von Kühlgut zugeordneten Werts,
• Auswählen des jeweils höchsten einer angegebenen Art von Kühlgut zugeordneten Werts,
• Bildung eines Mittelwerts unter den den angegebenen Arten von Kühlgut zugeordneten Werten.

As a rule, among others:

• Selecting the lowest value of a given type of item to be chilled,
• Selecting the highest value assigned to a given type of refrigerated goods,
• Forming an average value among the values assigned to the specified types of refrigerated goods.

The refrigerator may include a circulation path for circulating air from an evaporator to the storage compartment passing through a diffusion layer and a circulation path bypassing the diffusion layer. In this case, an element is expediently provided as the control, the position of which influences the distribution of the circulated air to the two circulation paths.

In particular, air passage openings may be formed in a wall separating an air inflow area from the compartment, and a diffusion layer is displaceable by the motor between a first position covering the air passage openings and a second position bypassing an air flow through the air passage openings allows the diffusion layer.

In the second position, in particular, the diffusion layer may be offset from the separating wall.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Kältegerätes;

Fig. 2

einen Schnitt durch das Kältegerät der Fig. 1 entlang der Linie II aus Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Ansicht der Fach und Verteilerkammer trennenden Wand und daran montierter Einbauten;

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Steuerscheibe;

Fig. 5

einen Schnitt durch die Steuerscheibe und ihre Umgebung;

Fig. 6

eine Draufsicht auf eine Verteilerkammer und Fach trennende Wand, gesehen von der Seite der Verteilerkammer, gemäß einer zweiten Ausgestaltung der Erfindung;

Fig. 7

einen Schnitt durch die Wand der Fig. 6; und

Fig. 8

ein Flussdiagramm eines Verfahrens zum Steuern der Luftzirkulation durch die Verteilerkammer.

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

a perspective view of a refrigerator according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a section through the refrigerator of the Fig. 1 along the line II Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3

a perspective view of the compartment and distribution chamber separating wall and mounted fittings thereon;

Fig. 4

a perspective view of a control disk;

Fig. 5

a section through the control disk and its surroundings;

Fig. 6

a plan view of a distribution chamber and compartment-separating wall, seen from the side of the distribution chamber, according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7

a section through the wall of the Fig. 6 ; and

Fig. 8

a flowchart of a method for controlling the air circulation through the distribution chamber.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view obliquely from below of a refrigerator, at which the present invention is to be explained. The device has a body 1 and a door 2 attached thereto. The interior of the body 1 is subdivided into an evaporator region 3 at the top under the ceiling of the body 1, a first cooling region 4 and, separated therefrom by an insulating intermediate wall 5, a second cooling region 6. The second cooling area 6 is divided by juxtaposed pull-out boxes 7 in two compartments. The first cooling area 4 is normally subdivided by several refrigerated goods carriers into superposed compartments. These refrigerated goods are in the Fig. 1 omitted since they have no meaning for the present invention.

At the front of an evaporator region 3 from the first cooling area 4 separating partition 9 (see Fig. 2 ), an air inlet opening 10 is formed through which air from the first cooling area 4 can enter the evaporator area 3. Lines through which air can flow from the second cooling region 6 to the evaporator region 3 can - in the Fig. 1 not visible - run in side walls of the body 1; another, in the Fig.1 indicated possible is an air duct 11 in the interior of the door 2, which begins at the level of the second cooling area 6 and ends opposite the air inlet opening 10, and whose course is indicated in the figure by dashed lines.

Adjacent to the rear wall 8 of the body 1, a distributor hood 12 is attached to the intermediate wall 9, on which a plurality of air holes 13 is formed, through which cold air originating from the evaporator region 3 is distributed in various directions in the upper part of the first cooling area 4. Below the distributor hood 12 are located on the rear wall 8 a plurality of pairs of openings 14, from which also cold air flow out can. The height of these pairs of openings 14 is selected so that when refrigerated goods carriers are mounted in the first cooling area 4, each pair of openings 14 feeds a compartment delimited by the refrigerated goods carriers.

Fig. 2 shows the refrigerator the Fig. 1 in a section along a vertically and in the depth direction of the body 1 extending plane, the in Fig. 1 is shown by a dashed line II. In the interior of the evaporator region 3, cooling coils of an evaporator 15 can be seen in the section, which are flowed through by the air entering through the air inlet opening 10. The intermediate wall 9 is down to the rear wall of the body 1 down to a channel 16, in which collects from the evaporator 15 dripping condensate. Via a pipe, not shown, the condensation reaches a in the base area 17 (see Fig. 1 ) of the body 1 accommodated evaporator.

Behind the channel 16, adjacent to the rear wall 8, a fan is housed, which comprises a motor 18, a paddle wheel 19 driven by the latter and a housing 20. At the front of the housing 20, in the axial direction of the impeller 19, an intake opening is formed. The upper half of the housing 20 extends circumferentially closely around the paddle wheel 19; downwardly, the housing 20 is open, so that by a rotation of the impeller 19 radially outwardly accelerated air flows down into a chamber 21.

In this chamber 21 a pivotable flap 22 is housed. In the position shown in the figure, the flap 22 blocks a cold air supply opening 23, which leads vertically down to the first cooling area 4. The air is thus pushed towards the rear wall 8 and into a cold air supply path 24, which leads to the second cooling region 6 inside the rear wall 8, separated from the first cooling area 4 by a thin insulation layer 25. When the flap 22 hinged to an intermediate wall 26 between the cold air supply port 23 and the cold air supply line 24 is brought into a vertical position shown in the figure as a dotted outline, it obstructs the cold air supply path 24 and the cold air flow reaches the distributor hood 12 through the cold air supply port 23 the cut of the Fig. 2 one of the air holes 13 can be seen, through which air flows out of the distributor hood 12 into the first cooling region 4.

The cold air supply path 24 leads to a distribution chamber 27 which extends in the intermediate wall 5, separated from the first cooling region 4 by an insulating layer, above the second cooling region 6. Between the distribution chamber 27 and the second cooling region 6, a horizontal septum 29 is arranged. It is equipped with a variety of openings 30 (see Fig. 3 ), over which the distribution chamber 27 via the supply path 24 and an air inlet opening 37 formed on a narrow side of the distribution chamber 27 supplied cold air distributed over a large area in the cooling area 6 and housed therein, upwardly open pull-out boxes 7 occurs.

From the cooling area 6 air flows through the air duct 11 formed in the door 2 back to the evaporator area 3. In order to prevent an uncontrolled transfer of air between the different temperature cooling areas 4, 6, carries the intermediate wall 5 at its front edge adjacent to the door 2 Sealing profile 34.

The septum 29 may be removably mounted in the body 1, for example by placing it as in Fig. 2 shown rests on protruding from the side walls of the body 1 webs 35. Thus, by removing the septum 29, the volume of the distribution chamber 27 can also be used to store refrigerated goods if necessary.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the septum 29 seen from the direction of the distribution chamber 27. From the septum 29 protruding vertical webs 38 divide the distribution chamber 27 into two sub-chambers 27a, 27b, one of each above one of the two pull-out boxes 7 and the other above the other pull-out box 7 lies. In the right sub-chamber 27b a multi-perforated plate 40b is shown lying flat on the septum 29. Openings 31 of the plate 40b overlap each with the underlying openings 30 of the partition wall 29, so that the plate 40b does not obstruct the flow of air from the sub-chamber 27b into the drawer 7 located underneath.

The plates 40 a, 40 b are provided to each one in the Fig. 3 not shown, flat-lying air-permeable fabric 50 (see Fig. 2 ), which covers all the openings 31 of the plates 40a, 40b. The web 50 provides in the position shown for the plate 40 b for a uniform distribution of the air to the openings 30 of the Separating wall 29 and for a slow, even air flow, which unfolds in the underlying tray or drawer 7 cooling effect, but at best only slightly drying out dehydrated.

The plates 40a, 40b are each attached to a free end of a two-armed pivoting lever 41a, 41b at its edge facing the rear wall 8 or the air inlet opening 37. The pivot arms 41a, 41b are - controlled by one of an electric motor 39 rotatably driven, in conjunction with Fig. 4 More precisely described control body 42 - pivotable about an axis which runs approximately at the level of the door-side edges of the plates 40a, 40b parallel to these edges. If an opposite free end of the pivot lever 41 is depressed by the control body 42, as shown in the figure by the example of the left pivot arm 41a, so this is the associated plate, here the plate 40a, raised at its the air inlet opening 37 adjacent edge so that air from the inlet opening 37 flows into a space wedge-shaped tapering towards the door between the plate 40a and the partition wall 29 and flows through the openings 30 of the partition wall 29 into the pull-out box 7 underneath. Since in this case a damping of the air flow through the web 50 is eliminated, the flow rate in the underlying drawer 7 is higher than the lowered plate, so that the air supplied in the drawer 7 unfolds a much stronger drying effect.

Two sensors 54 are provided to detect the position-raised or resting on the septum 29-of the rear wall-facing edges of the plates 40a, 40b and to a control circuit 56 (see FIG Fig. 2 ) of the electric motor 39. Fig. 3 shows the sensors 54 as separated from the septum 29, z. B. incorporated in the rear wall 8 of the refrigerator body 1 elements that detect the position of the plates 40 a, 40 b through the air inlet opening 37 therethrough.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the in Fig. 3 The control body 42 includes a circular base plate 43, from which centrally a non-circular bushing 44 projects, which is provided to the shaft of a, not shown, in Fig. 3 under the control body 2 hidden electric motor 39 (see Fig. 2 or Fig. 5 ). Concentric to the socket 44 are at different Radii two ramps 45a, 45b arranged. Each of these ramps 45a, 45b is provided to cooperate with one of the two pivoting levers 41a, 41b engaging under the base plate. The two ramps 45a, 45b each have a gently rising edge 46, a peak portion 47 of constant height and a steeply sloping edge 48. As in the section of Fig. 5 to recognize the pivot levers 41 a, 41 b at their interacting with the control body 42 free ends each have an upright pin 49, which it one of the pivot lever, the left 41 a in the representation of Fig. 5 , allows the control body 42 to be scanned on the radius of the inner ramp 45a without coming into contact with the outer ramp 45b.

By the two ramps 45a, 45b are suitably angularly offset from each other, it can be achieved that there is a position of the control body 42 in which the pins 49 of both pivot levers 41a, 41b touch the base plate 43, a position in which a pin 49 the Vertex portion 47 of the ramp 45a touches, while the other pin 49 contacts the base plate 43, a position in which both pins 49 touch the apex portion 47 of its associated ramp 45a and 45b, and a position in which a pin 49, the apex portion of Ramp 45b touches while the other touches the base plate 43. Expediently, the positions follow one another in one rotation of the control body 42 in the stated sequence. The direction of rotation of the motor 39 is selected so that the pins 49 each slide along the gentle flanks 46 to the apex portion 47 and then fall back along the steep flanks 48 to the base plate 43. By keeping the flanks 48 steep, on the one hand, the angular intervals in which one of the four positions is present can be made large, so that only a low accuracy in the control of the rotation angle of the control body 42 is required, while on the other hand the gentle slope of the flanks 46 the sliding of the pins 49 on the ramps 45a, 45b and the associated lifting of the plates 40 is facilitated.

A second embodiment of the partition wall 29 and parts mounted on it is in Fig. 6 in a plan view and in Fig. 7 in a section along the line VII-VII Fig. 6 shown. As in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 5 the septum 29 has a plurality of air passage openings 30, and a nonwoven 50 (see Fig. 6 ) carrying plate 40a and 40b can, as in Fig. 6 taking the example of the left plate 40a, assume a flat on the septum 29 resting position in the Openings 31 of the plate 40a with which the septum 29 are aligned. In the depth direction of the body 1 extending webs 38 rising ramps 53 are formed toward the rear wall 8. From the plates 40a, 40b projecting pins 51 are at the left plate 40a respectively at the bottom of the ramps 53rd

Coupled, for example, by an electric motor, not shown, rotatable control body 42 each comprise a base plate 43 and an eccentric projection protruding therefrom, here in the form of a circular sector-shaped rib 52. If by rotation of the control body 42, the rib 52 presses against the plate 40a or 40b, as in the example of the right-hand plate 40b in FIG Fig. 6 shown, this is pushed back in the direction of the air inlet opening 37, wherein the pins 51 slide up on the ramps 53 and thereby lift the plate 40. The result is a gap between the plate 40 and the septum 29, through which air from the air inlet opening 37 can go directly to the openings 30 of the partition wall 29, without their flow is damped by the web 50. The effects obtained thereby are the same as in the above-described embodiment.

By the ribs 52 of the control body 42 are suitably angularly offset from each other, four states are adjustable here, in which either both plates 40a, 40b rest on the partition wall 29, one plate rests and the other is raised or both plates 40 are raised.

Deviating from the presentation of FIGS. 6 and 7 It is also possible, of the ramps 53 each adjacent to the door 2, that is, the upper in the representation of Fig. 6 or the left ramp 45 in the representation of Fig. 7 to leave out. As a result, the plates 40a, 40b each between the in Fig. 7 shown resting on the septum 29 position and a parked position are movable, in each of which only the air inlet opening 37 adjacent edge of a plate 40a, 40b is lifted from the partition 29, while the door near edge of the plate continues to rests. Thus, as in the embodiment of FIG. 3 in the parked position each receive a wedge-shaped space between the plate 40 and septum 29, which drives the incoming air from the air inlet 37 fro ago on the septum 29.

Various modifications and developments of the embodiments described here are possible. Thus, e.g. the rotatable control bodies 42 are replaced by linearly displaceable ramps, or other drive mechanisms for the movement of the plates 40a, 40b may be provided.

In order to adapt the position of the plates 40a, 40b at any time to the refrigerated goods stored in the associated pull-out box 7, a user interface 55 is provided at which a user - e.g. by selecting from a displayed menu - the type of chilled goods stored in each drawer can specify and an electronic control circuit 56 selects and adjusts the appropriate position of the plates 40a, 40b for the respective chilled goods by means of an allocation table.

Fig. 8 shows a flowchart of a running in the control circuit 56 of the electric motor 39 control method. In a first step S1, a user is given the opportunity to enter the type or types of refrigerated goods stored in the compartments 7 on the user interface 55. Fig. 1 shows this user interface with a display screen and a plurality of keys, selector switches or the like. At the front edge of a cover plate of the body 1; Of course, it can also be installed at any other suitable location. The input is made, for example, by selecting a user for each one of the trays 7 under pictograms displayed on the display screen, or designations of various types of items to be refrigerated, the one or the ones stowed in the respective tray 7 by means of the keys or selector switches.

In step S2, the control circuit 56 determines a target position of the tray corresponding to the tray 40a and 40b based on the specified content for each compartment 7. This is done by querying a table stored in the control circuit 56, which indicates a target plate position for each type of refrigerated goods offered for selection by the user in step S1. In the simplest case, this nominal position has either the value 0 or the value 1, corresponding to a flat or a fully raised plate. However, intermediate values of the plate position can also be specified in the table.

If the user has specified only one type of refrigerated goods for a compartment 7, then the reference position specified for the compartment corresponds to that specified in the table for this refrigerated goods Position. If different types of refrigerated goods are specified, the target position for the compartment may be an average of the setpoint values applicable to the types of refrigerated goods contained, the highest or the lowest of these setpoints. Which of these three alternatives is chosen, may depend on the type of specified refrigerated goods, for example, if loose leafy vegetables is specified, its setpoint can be selected as a target position of the plate, since this chilled quickly deteriorates at higher dehydration, while for other types of Refrigerated an average value is calculated. In each case, a two-digit value in the interval [0, 1], one for each compartment 7, is obtained as the nominal position.

In step S3, the desired positions thus obtained are compared with a switching threshold. In the simplest case, the switching threshold can be a constant, for. B. 0.5, be. If the desired position is above, then it is decided that the plate concerned should be raised; if it is below, then the plate should be lowered. If the sensors 54 report that both plates 40a, 40b are already in the desired position determined for them, then the motor 39 remains off, and the method proceeds to step S4, where the fan is operated to supply cold air between the evaporator section 3 and the cooling area 6 to circulate.

If both plates 40a, 40b are not in the desired position, the control circuit activates the motor 39 until either the sensors 54 signal the reaching of the nominal position in step S5, or it is determined in step S6 that a maximum permissible operating time of the Motor 39 is exceeded. If the latter is the case, there is a fault, z. B. because one of the plates 40a, 40b is frozen to the septum 29 and therefore the rotation of the control body 42 is blocked, and the disturbance is signaled to the user on the display screen of the user interface 55.

According to a further developed embodiment, the step S3 is repeated periodically even after the start of the fan operation in step S4 by the control circuit 56, as indicated by a dashed arrow in Fig. 8 indicated, the switching threshold is not a constant, but a sawtooth between 0 and 1 varying function of time, and the control circuit 56 decides that the plate 40a or 40b should be raised when its nominal position is below the switching threshold and should be lowered when the Target position is above the switching threshold. So, while the blower is in operation is, the plates 40a, 40b periodically switched, and the proportion of time they spend in the raised position, the operating time of the blower is proportional to the set for them in step S2 target position.

Claims (11)

1. Refrigerating appliance with at least one storage compartment (7) cooled by circulating air, wherein at least one assigned value is stored in a data memory of the refrigerating appliance that assigns a suitable value relating to the circulation condition for at least one type of cooled item, wherein a control unit (56) is set up to ascertain (S1) the specified value by offering various types of cooled item possibly accommodated in the storage compartment from which to choose and selecting (S2) a suitable value relating to the circulation condition for the specified cooled item on the basis of user input specifying the type of cooled item, characterised by a mobile plate (40a, 40b) for controlling at least one circulation condition of the circulating air in the storage compartment (7), wherein a motor (39) for adjusting the plate (40a, 40b) is provided and the control unit (56) is set up to adjust (S3) a position of the plate (40a, 40b) according to a value relating to the circulation condition and specified by a user, by means of the motor (39).
2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that the data memory in the control unit (56) is provided and an assignment table is stored therein that assigns suitable values relating to the circulation condition in each case to a quantity of types of cooled item.
3. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 2, characterised in that the circulation condition is a quantitative amount and that the control unit (56) is set up to select (S2) a value relating to the circulation condition to be adjusted at the plate (40a, 40b) on the basis of user input specifying several types of cooled item that is at least as great as the lowest value assigned to a specified type of cooled item and is not greater than the highest value assigned to a specified type of cooled item.
4. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 3, characterised in that a rule can be selected from among at least two of the following:

   - Select the respective lowest value assigned to a specified type of cooled item,

   - Select the respective highest value assigned to a specified type of cooled item,

   - Form a mean value from among the values assigned to the specified types of cooled item.
5. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4, characterised in that the choice of rule can be made by the user.
6. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4, characterised in that the control unit (56) is set up to select the rule on the basis of a specified type of cooled item.
7. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the control unit (56) is set up to ascertain the specified value by offering the user various values relating to the circulation condition from which to choose.
8. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the circulation condition is of the degree of moisture of the circulating air.
9. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises a circulation path (24, 27) for circulating air from an evaporator (3) to the storage compartment (7) that passes through a diffusion layer (50) and a circulation path (24, 27) that bypasses the diffusion layer (50), and that the position of the plate (40a, 40b) influences the distribution of the circulating air to the two circulation paths.
10. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that air passage openings (30) are formed in a wall (29) separating an air flow area (27) from the compartment (7), and that a diffusion layer (50) can be moved, by means of the motor (39), between a first position in which it covers the air passage openings (30) and a second position in which it enables air to stream through the air passage openings (30) while bypassing the diffusion layer (50).
11. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 11, characterised in that when in the second position the diffusion layer (50) is at a slight distance from the dividing wall (29).

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