EP2249109A2 - Cooler, in particular household cooler with a condensate gutter - Google Patents

Abstract

The cooler (1) has a condensate gutter (2) forming an inner container (3) with a cold room (5) and a freezing room (4), and a circular cooling closed loop including two evaporators (6, 12). One of the evaporators (6) is attached with the freezing room, and another evaporator (12) is closely arranged back of a rear panel (11) of the cold room and attached to the cold room. The rear panel of the inner container includes a defrost water channel (20). The defrost water channel is arranged on an inner side of the rear panel in a height proximate below the latter evaporator.

Description

The invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, with a body, which forms an inner container with a cold room and a freezer compartment, and a single-circuit refrigeration cycle, comprising a first evaporator associated with the freezer compartment and a second evaporator associated with the cold room, hidden behind a rear wall of the refrigerator compartment , wherein the rear wall of the inner container has a condensation gutter.

From the DE 199 07 124 A1 is a refrigerator with a lying outside the refrigerator evaporator and an internal condensation water gutter known. An inner lining serves for lining the cooling space, which is cooled by means of the evaporator arranged on its rear wall. The bottom of the cold room is provided below the evaporator with a condensate collecting gutter, which is arranged for collecting the melting water produced during a defrosting process of the evaporator substantially over the width of the cooling space. The condensate collecting gutter has a gutter bed with a projecting approximately in the middle of its width section. The gutter bed is formed from a gutter wall and a gutter bottom, at the free edges of the gutter wall is arranged circumferentially. The channel bottom has a slope, which tapers on an introduced therein, arranged within the projecting portion drainage opening. The drain opening opens into a condensate drain pipe.

The object of the invention is to provide a refrigeration device, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, with a single-circuit refrigeration cycle, in which a refrigerator separate from the freezer compartment can be used more expediently for a user.

The object is achieved by a refrigerator, in particular household refrigeration appliance, with a body that forms an inner container with a cold room and a freezer compartment, and a Einkreiskältekreislauf, having a freezer associated with the first evaporator and the refrigerator associated, hidden behind a rear wall of the refrigerator arranged second evaporator, wherein the Rear wall of the inner container having a condensation channel, wherein the condensation channel is arranged on the inside of the rear wall at a height immediately below the second evaporator.

In refrigerators with internal evaporators, it is known to arrange a condensation gutter immediately below the evaporator plate. In this case, a trained as a separate component condensation channel is attached directly to the evaporator plate or attached to the inside of the rear wall of the refrigerator. Due to the visible and projecting into the cooling chamber mounting the evaporator plate of the usable storage space for refrigerated goods is restricted by the evaporator plate from the outset. In that regard, it is harmless in internal evaporators to arrange the condensation gutter immediately below the evaporator plate, since the installation space required for the condensation gutter is anyway not available for the refrigerated goods.

The situation is different with refrigerators with a concealed evaporator. For concealed evaporators, the evaporator tube or evaporator plate is located outside the refrigerator compartment, most often between the rear wall and the foam insulation, i. the evaporator is in contact with the outwardly oriented side of the rear wall. The inside of the refrigerator facing side of the rear wall is smooth-walled, usually formed without any projections. This is considered advantageous since no internal internals protrude into the cooling space and thus the useful volume available for the storage of refrigerated goods is not reduced. In that regard, the smooth wall of the rear wall has been given preference in refrigerators with concealed evaporator. The necessary defrost channel was always provided at the bottom of the inner container. On the one hand, to keep the back wall over the entire height of the refrigerator free of protruding parts and on the other hand, to be able to supply the condensate collected by the condensation gutter on the shortest route without consuming discharge pipes to the compressor, where the collected condensation outside the refrigerator was evaporated again. In that regard, it has hitherto been regarded as disadvantageous to set the condensation gutter upwards.

It has now been recognized that atmospheric moisture, which, for example, penetrates into the cooling space during an opening of the refrigeration appliance door, is only reflected on that area of the inside of the rear wall, behind which the evaporator is located and this only on This area condensed water due to gravity runs down to the bottom of the refrigerator and so far also wetted the area located below the evaporator surface of the rear wall, which would actually remain dry because there is no humidity reflected or condensed there. However, since in the previous embodiments with a bottom-side condensation gutter the rear wall over its entire height is wetted with down-running condensation, the shelves had to be placed with a certain distance from the rear wall to reliably prevent contact of refrigerated goods with the rear wall can. In other words, an unnecessarily large piece of the back wall has been wetted with draining condensation water than would be technically necessary. For this reason, the evaporator drainage was distributed in the cold room to a much larger area than was actually required. However, this has reduced the useful volume of the cold room.

By pushing up the water outlet, this surface can be significantly reduced according to the invention. According to the invention, it has now been recognized that elevating the bottom-side condensation gutter, preferably to a height of the lower edge of the concealed evaporator, at the height of the newly arranged condensation gutter slightly reduces the usable depth, but more by achieving a dry back wall below the condensation gutter or below the evaporator Effective volume is created. Among other things, this is due to the fact that refrigerated goods can now be stowed against the rear wall until there is no danger of the refrigerated goods becoming damp or freezing on the rear wall. In the case of the shelves located below the condensation gutter according to the invention, therefore, a boundary strip can be omitted from these shelves. It is particularly advantageous that condensate can leave the refrigeration device faster because the condensation gutter is located directly below the evaporator. Another advantage results from a variability of the temperature stratification.

An upper edge of the condensation gutter can be arranged on the inside of the rear wall at a height in which a lower edge of the second, behind the rear wall hidden evaporator is located. In particular, in Kühlgefrierkombinationsgeräten the evaporator of the cooling space in the area is significantly smaller than the rear wall of the refrigerator. This is the case in particular with refrigerated freezing combination devices with a single-circuit cooling circuit. Only on the inner surface of the back wall, that of the hidden Evaporator is cooled, condensation occurs. On parts of the rear wall, which are not cooled by the evaporator, no condensation occurs. However, without a higher defrosted gutter, this uncooled part of the back wall becomes wet by the run-down of dew drops condensed in the area of the evaporator. As a result of the condensation channel set higher in accordance with the invention, the dew drops are collected immediately below the evaporator so that they can not reach the uncooled part of the rear wall. The dew drops are collected as before they can moisten the uncooled part of the back wall. This uncooled part of the back wall thus remains dry. Since this uncooled part of the back wall is dry, refrigerated goods can be stored in the cold room until they come into contact with the rear wall. Thus, the usable volume of the refrigerator is increased. The condensation gutter is therefore preferably arranged where, at the side of the rear wall pointing inwards towards the cooling space, a cooled section of the rear wall adjoins an uncooled section of the rear wall. This limit does not necessarily have to be exactly at the level of the lower edge of the evaporator. Depending on the heat distribution or the distribution of cold in the rear wall, the cooled section, at which humidity can condense, may deviate slightly from the height of the lower edge of the evaporator upwards or downwards.

However, the second evaporator may be arranged, for example, in an upper third of the cooling space behind the inside of the rear wall, wherein the condensation gutter is mounted at the level two thirds of the total height of the cooling space on the inside of the rear wall. In particular, in Kühlgefrierkombinationsgeräten with a single-circuit refrigeration cycle, the evaporator for the refrigerator is made much smaller than single refrigerators without freezer or as in Kühlgefrierkombinationationsgeräten with separate cooling circuits for the refrigerator and freezer. For example, cooling freeze combination devices with a single-circuit refrigeration cycle have the result that a very large area of the rear wall is uncooled. An inventive "up-lay" the defrost channel is therefore particularly advantageous or effective in Kühlgefrierkombinationationsgeräten with a single-circuit refrigeration cycle.

The defrost channel can be formed in one piece with the rear wall having inner container. The condensation gutter may be structurally designed as a molding in the rear wall of the inner container of the refrigeration device. This has the advantage that no Installation of the condensation gutter is required and the number of parts is reduced, which is why the refrigeration device can be produced inexpensively. However, in order to avoid expensive molds, the defrost channel could be attached to the rear wall as a separate component, for example as a plastic injection molded part.

The condensate drainage channel can have a drainage spigot, to which a drainage hose, for draining condensation water from the condensation gutter to an evaporation tray, is connected to a compressor of the refrigeration appliance. The condensation water collected by the condensation gutter is further fed to an evaporation tray on a compressor of the refrigeration appliance. This supply takes place via the drain hose. Usually, the compressor is below the bottom of the refrigerator outside the inner container of the refrigerator. The drain hose can be guided on the inside of the rear wall in the middle or in a corner of the bottom of the condensate drainage down.

The drain hose can also be led out directly or just below the condensation gutter through the rear wall to the rear and, for example. Be performed in Isolierschaum outside the refrigerator down to the compressor. This has the advantage that no space for the drain hose is wasted in the refrigerator.

The drain hose can thus be concealed behind the rear wall running out, outside the cooling chamber to a arranged below the inner container compressor.

In all embodiments according to the invention, at least one upper shelf above the drainage channel and at least one lower shelf below the drainage channel can be arranged in the cold room, wherein the at least one lower shelf is formed to the rear wall contacting bearings of refrigerated goods without boundary strip. Since the condensation water condensing above the condensation gutter is collected at the level of the condensation gutter, the back wall below the condensation gutter remains dry. So refrigerated goods can be stored on the shelves located below the drainage gutters up to a back wall touching extent. In this case, no facilities are necessary to keep the refrigerated goods from the rear wall. A boundary strip or other stop can therefore be omitted according to the invention. Shelves and in particular glass plates which lie in front of the evaporator or in front of the drainage area of the condensate water must have a limit or a stop at the rear, ie on their side facing the rear wall, so that a user does not inadvertently bring refrigerated goods into contact with the rear wall. If this happens, there is a risk that the refrigerated goods will be moistened with condensation or even freeze on the cold rear wall. If the defrost channel is moved upwards according to the invention, the rear wall below the defrost channel is not wet and not cold. As a result, there is no danger to the user of soaking or freezing. For this reason, the rear stop or the boundary strip can be omitted on the shelves. This has the advantage that the shelves can be produced more cheaply. Another advantage is that the absence of the rear stop or the boundary strip increases the footprint on the shelf, which means increased customer benefit.

So there is a cost advantage because material and installation costs for the rear stop or the boundary strip omitted, because these rear strips can be omitted at several shelves or glass plates. It increases the customer benefit, since only a small part of the container rear wall is damp. There is no risk of moisture penetration or risk of freezing of refrigerated goods to be stored. It increases the footprint, since the rear stop or the limiting bar is eliminated and thus the storage area is not limited.

In this case, one or more upper shelves for keeping the cold goods from the rear wall with a boundary strip and the one or more lower shelves to the rear wall touching bearings of refrigerated goods without boundary strip may be formed. For those shelves, which are located at a height at which the rear wall is cooled by the evaporator, boundary strips are still required to keep refrigerated goods from the rear wall can. In the case of shelves which are arranged below the drainage channel, however, the boundary strips can be omitted. Thus, in particular, usually the shelves of the lower two thirds of the total height of the cold room can do without boundary strips.

The at least one lower shelf may have a greater depth than the at least one upper shelf. It's not just the boundary strips that fall away, it's the one is also no longer necessary that a certain distance between the rear, the rear wall facing edge of the shelf and the rear wall is maintained. Thus, according to the invention, the shelf can be used right up to the rear wall. As a result, the lower shelves, ie the shelves located below the gutter, may have a greater depth than the upper shelves located above the gutter.

The front ends of the upper and lower shelves facing the open side of the inner container or the door side of the refrigeration appliance can end in a common front plane. In this case results from the greater depth of the lower shelves, an increase in the total available footprint within the refrigerator.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is based on the FIGS. 1 to 4 described. From the detailed description of this specific embodiment, there are also other general features and advantages of the present invention.

Figur 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Kältegeräts für Haushaltszwecke mit einem Innenbehälter, der einen Kühlraum und einen Gefrierraum aufweist;

Figur 2

eine perspektivische Teilansicht des Kältegeräts gemäß Fig. 1 mit einer gegenüber dem Stand der Technik erfindungsgemäß nach oben versetzen Tauwasserrinne;

Figur 3

eine Querschnitts-Ansicht des Kältegeräts gemäß Fig. 1 mit Aufnahmen für obere und untere Fachböden;

Figur 4

zwei erfindungsgemäß obere Fachböden und drei erfindungsgemäß untere Fachböden, die als Glasplatten ausgebildet sind.

Show it:

FIG. 1

a perspective view of a refrigeration appliance for household purposes with an inner container having a cooling space and a freezer compartment;

FIG. 2

a partial perspective view of the refrigerator according to Fig. 1 with a relative to the prior art according to the invention upwards defrost water channel;

FIG. 3

a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to Fig. 1 with receptacles for upper and lower shelves;

FIG. 4

two according to the invention upper shelves and three according to the invention lower shelves, which are designed as glass plates.

An in Fig. 1 illustrated domestic refrigerator 1 has a body 2 with an inner container 3. The inner container 3 is in an overhead freezer compartment 4 and a divided below arranged cooling chamber 5. The freezer compartment 4 is generally used for freezing frozen food at about minus 18 degrees Celsius. The freezer compartment 4 is associated with a first evaporator 6, which is arranged hidden behind a freezer compartment rear wall 7. In the freezer compartment 4, a grate 8 is used for the storage of frozen food on two levels. The freezer compartment 4 is accessible when the freezer compartment door 9 is open. To open, the freezer compartment door 9 has a first handle 10.

The cooling space 5 is generally used for frost-free cooling of refrigerated goods, preferably at temperatures between plus 4 and plus 8 degrees Celsius. However, the cooling space 5 can also be designed as a zero-degree compartment, in particular for keeping fruit or vegetables fresh. The cooling space 5 has a rear wall 11, behind which a second evaporator 12 is hidden. The second evaporator 12 is connected in series with the first evaporator 6, ie it is a one-circuit refrigeration cycle which is connected to a common compressor 13 (FIG. Fig. 3 ) connected. The refrigerator 5 is accessible when the refrigerator door 14 is open. To open the refrigerator door 14 has a second handle 15. On side walls 16 of the inner container 3 and the cooling chamber 5 receptacles 17 for upper shelves 18 and lower shelves 19 are arranged. At a height immediately below the second evaporator 12, a defrost channel 20 is arranged on the inside of the rear wall 11. The defrosting channel 20 has an outlet connection 21, to which a drainage tube 22 (FIG. Fig. 3 ) connected. In the refrigerator 5, as in Fig.1 represented, an optional fan 23 may be arranged, which provides for air circulation within the cooling chamber 5, but without blowing additional cold air from outside the inner container 3 into the cooling space 5.

In the Fig. 2 is shown as the invention according to the condensation channel 20 is arranged offset relative to a configuration S according to the prior art upwards. In the generic Kühlgefrierkombinationsgeräten the defrost channel is arranged according to the embodiment S at the bottom 24 and at a bottom level of the inner container 3. Opposite this known position is the defrost channel 20 according to the invention, as indicated by the arrow P in Fig. 2 indicated, offset upwards. Behind a first wall portion 25 of the second evaporator 12 is hidden (and therefore in Fig. 2 not visible). In the region of the first wall section 25 which is cooled by the second evaporator 12, atmospheric moisture in the form of dew drops 26 can condense. A second wall portion 26 is uncooled, as behind this wall portion 26 of the second evaporator 12 no longer extends. The area of the second wall section 26 is therefore dry, ie no dew drops are shown. The defrost channel 20 is located in the transition region between the first cooled wall section 25 and the second uncooled wall section 26.

The defrost channel 20 has a gutter bed 27. The gutter bed 27 is formed from a gutter wall 28 and a gutter bottom 29, at the free edges of the gutter wall 28 is arranged circumferentially. The channel bottom 29 has a slope, which tapers on the introduced into it outlet pipe 21. The discharge nozzle 21 opens into the drain hose 22 (FIG. Fig. 3 ). Below the defrost channel 20 first receptacles 17a for lower shelves 19 and by way of example a second receptacle 17b for an upper shelf 18 are shown on the side walls 16 of the inner container 3 and the refrigerator compartment.

In Fig. 3 are shown in cross section a plurality of second receptacle 17b for upper shelves 18 and a plurality of first receptacles 17a for lower shelves 19. At a height between the second receptacle 17b of the upper shelves 18 and the first receptacles 17a of the lower shelves 19, the defrost channel 20 according to the invention is arranged. To the defrost channel 20 of the drain hose 22 is connected. The drain hose 22 is led to an evaporator shell 30, which is arranged on the upper side of the compressor 13. Instead, as in Fig.2 shown running within the cooling chamber 5, the drain hose 22 may be disposed extending within the foam insulation 31.

In Fig. 4 are bounded by the dashed corpus shown 2 two according to the invention upper shelves 18 and three according to the invention lower shelves 19, which are formed as glass plates 32 shown. Each glass plate 32 has an overmolded frame 33. Only the upper shelves 18 additionally have a boundary strip 34. The lower shelves 19 are formed without a boundary strip 34. The lower shelves 19 also have a greater depth T than the depth t of the upper shelves 18. The facing the open side of the inner container 3 and the door side of the refrigerator front ends 35 of the upper shelves 18 and lower shelves 19 ends in a common front plane 36.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Household refrigerator

2

corpus

3

inner container

4

freezer

5

refrigerator

6

first evaporator

7

Freezer rear wall

8th

rust

9

Freezer door

10

first grip

11

rear wall

12

second evaporator

13

compressor

14

Fridge door

15

second handle

16

side walls

17

Recordings

18

upper shelves

19

lower shelves

20

condensation channel

21

drain connection

22

drain hose

23

fan

24

ground

25

first, cooled wall section

26

second, uncooled wall section

27

Rinne bed

28

Rinnenwandung

29

channel base

30

evaporator dish

31

foam insulation

32

glass plate

33

overmoulded frame

34

Boundary bar S Dewatering channel according to the prior art

P

arrow

T

depth

Claims (10)

Refrigerating appliance, in particular household refrigerating appliance (1), having a body (2) which forms an inner container (3) with a cooling space (5) and a freezer compartment (4), and a single-circuit cooling circuit, comprising a first evaporator (4) associated with the first 6) and a cooling chamber (5) associated, behind a rear wall (11) of the cooling chamber (5) arranged second evaporator (12), wherein the rear wall (11) of the inner container (3) has a condensation channel (20), characterized in that the condensation gutter (20) is arranged on the inside of the rear wall (11) at a level immediately below the second evaporator (12). Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that an upper edge of the condensation gutter (20) on the inside of the rear wall (11) is arranged at a height in which a lower edge of the second, behind the rear wall (11) hidden evaporator (12) , Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second evaporator (12) arranged in an upper third of the cooling space (5) behind the inside of the rear wall (11) and the condensation gutter (20) at two thirds of the total height of the cooling space ( 5) is attached to the inside of the rear wall (11). Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the condensation channel (20) is formed integrally with the rear wall (11) having inner container (3). Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the condensation channel (20) has a discharge nozzle (21), to which a drain hose (22), for discharging condensation water from the condensation gutter (20) to an evaporation tray (30) to a compressor (13) of the refrigeration device, is connected. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that the drain hose (22) hidden behind the rear wall (11), outside the cooling space (5) to a below the inner container (3) arranged compressor (13) is guided. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that in the cooling space (5) at least one upper shelf (18) above the condensation gutter (20) and at least one lower shelf (19) below the condensate channel (20) is arranged, wherein the at least one lower shelf (19) for the rear wall (11) contacting bearings of refrigerated goods without boundary strip (34) is formed. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that one or more upper shelves (18) for keeping the chilled goods from the rear wall (11) with a boundary strip (34) and the one or more lower shelves (19) for the rear wall (11) Storage of refrigerated goods without boundary strip (34) are formed. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the at least one lower shelf (19) has a greater depth than the at least one upper shelf (18). Refrigerating appliance according to claim 9, characterized in that the open ends of the inner container (3) or to the door side of the refrigeration facing front ends (35) of the upper shelves (18) and the lower shelves (19) in a common front plane (36) ends ,

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