EP2373941B1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents
Refrigerator Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP2373941B1 EP2373941B1 EP09805690.6A EP09805690A EP2373941B1 EP 2373941 B1 EP2373941 B1 EP 2373941B1 EP 09805690 A EP09805690 A EP 09805690A EP 2373941 B1 EP2373941 B1 EP 2373941B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- heater
- refrigerator
- conducting element
- heat conducting
- dispenser
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Active
Links
- 239000011888 foil Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 230000008014 freezing Effects 0.000 description 26
- 238000007710 freezing Methods 0.000 description 26
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 26
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 13
- 230000005494 condensation Effects 0.000 description 12
- 238000009833 condensation Methods 0.000 description 12
- 238000005192 partition Methods 0.000 description 12
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000005265 energy consumption Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000002390 adhesive tape Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000006260 foam Substances 0.000 description 2
- 235000013361 beverage Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007613 environmental effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000006261 foam material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005187 foaming Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001788 irregular Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 1
- KJLLKLRVCJAFRY-UHFFFAOYSA-N mebutizide Chemical compound ClC1=C(S(N)(=O)=O)C=C2S(=O)(=O)NC(C(C)C(C)CC)NC2=C1 KJLLKLRVCJAFRY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000007769 metal material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000013021 overheating Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002265 prevention Effects 0.000 description 1
Images
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
- F25D23/00—General constructional features
- F25D23/12—Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
- F25D23/126—Water cooler
-
- 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
- F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25C5/00—Working or handling ice
- F25C5/20—Distributing ice
- F25C5/22—Distributing ice particularly adapted for household refrigerators
-
- 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
- F25D21/00—Defrosting; Preventing frosting; Removing condensed or defrost water
- F25D21/04—Preventing the formation of frost or condensate
-
- 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
- F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25C2400/00—Auxiliary features or devices for producing, working or handling ice
- F25C2400/10—Refrigerator units
-
- 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
- F25D21/00—Defrosting; Preventing frosting; Removing condensed or defrost water
- F25D21/06—Removing frost
- F25D21/08—Removing frost by electric heating
-
- 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
- F25D2400/00—General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
- F25D2400/06—Refrigerators with a vertical mullion
-
- 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
- F25D2400/00—General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
- F25D2400/36—Visual displays
- F25D2400/361—Interactive visual displays
Definitions
- the invention relates to a refrigerator, especially to a household or commercial refrigerator which is provided with a dispenser.
- the freezing compartment of a refrigerator can usually reach a temperature of lower than minus ten °C or more.
- the refrigerator body and the door of the refrigerator are provided with heat insulating layers to avoid losing of cold energy caused by heat exchange between the cold air within the refrigerator and the surrounding environment.
- some portions of the refrigerator door which are exposed to the atmosphere may have relatively low temperature under the influence of the storage compartment.
- condensation will appear on the surface. The phenomenon of water condensation around the dispenser is extremely significant.
- US patent No. 6,862,891 B1 discloses a refrigerator which has a heating element located near an ice dispensing means and a control unit connected with the heating element.
- the control unit is configured such that the voltage supplied to the heating element is variable, so that the heating element may operate at different non-zero voltages for reducing energy consumption.
- a refrigerator according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from US 5 269 154 .
- an object of the invention is to solve at least one of the technical problems found in the prior art so that the temperature of the dispenser casing may be evenly increased with a higher energy efficiency to prevent the dispenser casing from forming condensation and / or to remove any condensed water from the dispenser casing.
- the invention in one aspect relates to a refrigerator which comprises a refrigerator body defining at least one storage space; a door connected to the refrigerator body for closing at least a part of the storage space, the door comprising a heat insulating layer; a dispenser provided in the door, the dispenser comprising a dispenser casing which is adjacent to the heat insulating layer; and a heater arranged at least adjacent to the inner side of the dispenser casing, characterized in that the refrigerator further comprises a heat conducting element which covers at least a part of the inner surface of the dispenser casing which faces toward the heat insulating layer, and the heat conducting element is arranged at least adjacent to the heater for transmitting the heat generated by the heater to the dispenser casing.
- this configuration can prevent the portions of the dispenser casing which are adjacent to the heater from being overheated and the portions of the dispenser casing which are distant from the heater from being under heated and thus generating condensate, so that it is expected that condensation on the dispenser casing can be avoided with a reasonable energy consumption.
- the reaching area of the heat generated by the heater can be enlarged by the heat conducting element. That is to say, the heat generated by the heater may form a heat source for the heat conducting element and will be transmitted quickly by the heat conducting element, so that the deploying area of the heater can be advantageously reduced. For example, only the portions of the dispenser casing which are likely to occur condensation may be provided with a heater while other portions of the dispenser casing which are not likely to occur condensation may be only covered and supplied with heat by the heat conducting element.
- the heat conducting element may not directly contact with the heater, it is preferably that the heat conducting element contacts the heater according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, so that the heat generated by the heater may transmitted directly and quickly to the heat conducting element.
- the dispenser casing defines a dispensing cavity for receiving at least a part of an outside container
- the dispensing cavity comprises a dispensing cavity wall extending in a longitudinal direction
- the heat conducting element covers at least a major portion of the dispensing cavity wall.
- the dispensing cavity wall may be evenly heated to reduce the possibility of occurring condensation.
- the dispensing cavity wall may be touched by a user.
- the heat conducting element is provided for preventing the dispensing cavity wall from being overheated, and thus any potential harm to the user by the overheated dispensing cavity wall can be avoided.
- only an edge area of the heat conducting element contacts the heater.
- the upper end of the heat conducting element contacts the heater.
- the heat conducting element comprises a metal foil having a high heat conductivity, the metal foil establishes face-to-face contacting with the dispenser casing.
- the refrigerator comprises adhesive means for attaching the heat conducting element to the dispenser casing.
- the heater is arranged adjacent to the ice transfer passage.
- the portions of the dispenser casing which are located near the ice transfer passage will obtain more heat, so that the condensation possibility can be reduced.
- the condition that the ice transfer passage is blocked by a closure element which closes a through hole the condition that the closure element is frozen and thus cannot be opend can be advantageously avoided by means of the first heater provided adjacent to the ice transfer passage.
- the heater is connected to the dispenser casing according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, so that the heat generated by the heater may be transmitted quickly to the dispenser casing, and thus the influence of the heat generated by the heater to the storage space is reduced.
- the heater comprises a first heater and a second heater which are controlled independently from each other.
- the dispenser casing comprises a first area and a second area located near the first area, the first area and the second area are arranged adjacent to the heat insulating layer, and the first and second heater are disposed in the first area and the second area respectively.
- condensation can be prevented more effectively.
- different heaters may be properly disposed according to the condensation characteristics of different areas of the dispenser casing, and it may prevent the occurring of condensation or removing the generated condensate more efficiently by individually control these heaters.
- a refrigerator 1 comprises a refrigerator body 2 and two doors 3 connected to the refrigerator body 2, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 .
- the refrigerator body 2 comprises an outer shell 11, an inner shell 12 and a heat insulating layer 6 disposed between the outer shell 11 and the inner shell 12.
- the heat insulating layer 6 is a foam-based insulating layer and is formed by foaming a heat insulating foam material.
- the refrigerator body 2 defines at least one storage space for storing food.
- the storage space comprises a freezing compartment 7 and a refrigerating compartment (not shown) which are juxtaposed with each other.
- the doors 3 are pivotably connected to the refrigerator body 2 by hinges 4 respectively, and are rotatable about their corresponding rotation axes which are parallel to a vertical axis. As shown in Figure 2 , it is also provided with a foam-based insulating layer 6 inside each of the doors 3.
- the doors 3 are usually closed to avoid escape of cold air from the freezing compartment 7 and the refrigerating compartment.
- the user may open the corresponding door 3 to perform an operation, such as taking out food from the freezing compartment or refrigerating compartment, or putting food into a corresponding storage compartment.
- the user can open or close the doors 3 by means of handles 5.
- each door 3 is configured to completely open or completely close a corresponding storage compartment. It can be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, and other embodiments are also possible.
- one of the storage compartments may be opened or closed by two doors 3. That is to say, each door 3 may only open or close a part of such a storage compartment.
- the door 3 which is corresponded to the freezing compartment 7 (hereinafter referred to as freezing compartment door) is equipped with a dispenser 8 to allow a user to take out ice and/or beverage (for example water), such as ice stored in the freezing compartment and water stored in a water tank arranged in the refrigerating compartment, without opening the door 3.
- ice and/or beverage for example water
- the dispenser 8 is arranged in the door 3 which is corresponded to the freezing compartment, it shall be appreciated that it is also possible to arrange the dispenser 8 in a suitable way in the door 3 which is corresponded to the refrigerating compartment.
- the freezing compartment door 3 comprises a door panel 13 forming its front surface and an inner lining 23 facing towards the freezing compartment 7 when the freezing compartment door 3 is in its closed position.
- the door panel 13 is made of a sheet metal material, and both sides of the door panel 13 are bent backwardly and extend to form into first and second longitudinal sidewalls 48 and 49 respectively.
- the heat insulating layer 6 is in tight contact with the door panel 13 and the first and second longitudinal sidewalls 48 and 49.
- the door panel 13 has an opening 9 corresponding to the dispenser 8, which opening 9 having a substantially square or rectangular shape.
- the dispenser 8 comprises a dispenser casing 10 received between the door panel 13 and the inner lining 23.
- the dispenser casing 10 forms a cavity 14 which is inwardly recessed and has a front open end.
- the shape and dimension of the front open end of the inner cavity 14 correspond to that of the opening 9 substantially.
- the inner lining 23 protrudes toward the freezing compartment 7 at the location corresponded to the dispenser casing 10, with a predetermined distance between the protruding portion of the inner lining 23 and the dispenser casing 10 for disposing the heat insulating layer 6.
- the dispenser 8 comprises a partition plate 15 within the inner cavity 14.
- the partition plate 15 is parallel to a horizontal plane and separates the inner cavity 14 into upper and lower portions.
- the portion of the inner cavity 14 located below the partition plate 15 forms into a dispensing cavity 16 whose front end is kept open.
- the dispensing cavity 16 is configured to accept at least a part of an external container such as a cup.
- the dispensing cavity 16 is recessed backwardly from the front surface of the door 3 with a certain curvature to a predetermined depth.
- the dispensing cavity 16 has a substantially flat support wall 17 for stably putting the external container thereon.
- the support wall 17 has a plurality of thin through holes (not shown), through which any liquid that is splashed out or overflows accidentally during an ice or water dispensing process flows into a water gathering slot 19 arranged below the support wall 17.
- the refrigerator 1 comprises a control panel 20 arranged on the freezing compartment door 3, and the control panel 20 comprises a display screen 21 and a plurality of buttons or a touch area 22 for controlling the refrigerator 1.
- the display screen 21 can display the state of the refrigerator 1 and/or selectable parameters, etc.
- control panel 20 is arranged along the upper end of the opening 9, closely adjacent to the dispensing cavity 16.
- the portion of the opening 9 located above the partition plate 15 is adapted to be conformed to the out profile of the control panel 20, such that the control panel 20 can be engaged by the corresponding edge of the opening 9.
- the portion of the inner cavity 14 located above the partition plate 15 is shielded by the control panel 20.
- the dispenser casing 10 comprises a cavity wall delimiting the inner cavity 14.
- the cavity wall comprises a first portion 24 located below the partition plate 15.
- the first portion 24 comprises a longitudinal wall 30 for forming a longitudinal boundary of the dispensing cavity 16.
- the longitudinal wall 30 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane and has a substantially arc-shaped cross-section.
- the longitudinal wall 30 has a rear surface which is closely adjacent to the heat insulating layer 6 and an outer surface which is exposed to the atmosphere.
- the first portion 24 further comprises a bottom wall 31 which is connected to the lower end of the longitudinal wall 30 and extends forwardly.
- the bottom wall 31 is located below the support wall 17 and spaced from the support wall 17 by a certain distance so as to form the above-mentioned water gathering slot 19.
- the cavity wall of the dispenser casing 10 further comprises a second portion 25 which is connected to the upper end of the first portion 24 and is located above the partition plate 15.
- the second portion 25 comprises an inclined wall 26 which extends from the longitudinal wall 30 and is inclined forwardly.
- the inclined wall 26 comprises a through hole 27 which allows ice to pass therethrough.
- the through hole 27 is configured as a part of an ice transfer passage 29.
- the ice transfer passage 29 is used for transferring ice from an ice storage unit 28 located within the freezing compartment 7 to the dispensing cavity 16.
- the second portion 25 further comprises a top wall 32 which forms the upper boundary of the inner cavity 14.
- the second portion 25 has a hole 33 through which a water supply pipe (not shown) passes, which water supply pipe transmitting drinkable water to the dispensing cavity 16.
- An ice discharge pipe 34 forming a major part of the ice transfer passage 29 is embedded in the freezing compartment door 3.
- One end of the ice discharge pipe 34 is connected to the second portion 25 and is in communication with the through hole 27.
- the other end of the ice discharge pipe is oriented towards a discharge outlet of the ice storage unit 28 within the freezing compartment 7 when the freezing compartment door 3 is closed. Thereby, the ice discharged from the ice storage unit 28 enters into the ice discharge pipe 34, and then is guided to the dispensing cavity 16 by means of an ice outlet 18 provided in the partition plate 15.
- the portion of the inner cavity 14 which lies above the partition plate 15 is shielded by the control panel 20; however, the second portion 25 of the dispenser casing 10 still communicates with the atmosphere, that is, the second portion 25 is still exposed to the atmosphere, because the partition plate 15 is provided with the ice outlet 18 which is in communication with the portion of the inner cavity 14 which lies above the partition plate 15.
- the dispenser 8 is equipped with a closure element 36 for opening or closing the ice transfer passage 29.
- the ice transfer passage 29 is closed by the closure element 36.
- the ice transfer passage 29 is opened by means of the closure element 36 to allow the transfer of ice.
- the shape and dimension of the closure element 36 are substantially corresponded to that of the through hole 27, such that in the closed position the closure element closes the through hole 27 and thus closes the ice transfer passage 29.
- the closure element 36 is connected to the second portion 25 of the dispenser casing 10 and is received in the inner cavity 14.
- the temperature of the dispenser casing 10 is usually lower than room temperature/ambient temperature.
- the difference between ambient temperature and the temperature of the dispenser casing 10 reaches dew point temperature, condensate drops will be generated on the dispenser casing 10.
- the condensation possibility is relatively high due to the fact that the second portion 25 of the dispenser casing 10 is close to the ice discharge pipe 34 and forms a part of the ice transfer passage 29.
- the refrigerator 1 is provided with a heating unit 37 for increasing the surface temperature of the dispenser casing 10. As shown in Figure 2 , the heating unit 37 is arranged between the dispenser casing 10 and the heat insulating layer 6.
- FIG 4 is a schematic diagram of the heating unit 37 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
- the heating unit 37 comprises a first heater 38 and a second heater 39 adjacent to the first heater 38, for supplying heat to the dispenser casing 10.
- the first heater 38 and the second heater 39 are preferably resistance heaters, i.e. performing heating by resistors.
- the heating unit 37 further comprises a first heat conducting element 40 for transmitting the heat generated by the first heater 38 and the second heater 39 to the dispenser casing 10.
- the first heat conducting element 40 is an aluminum foil having a high heat conductivity.
- the first heat conducting element 40 has a hole (not shown) which is corresponded to the through hole 27.
- the first heater 38 and the second heater 39 can be arranged according to the distribution characteristics of condensate drops on the dispenser casing 10.
- the first heater 38 comprises a plurality of arc-shaped heating segments 35 arranged around the hole.
- the second heater 39 is arranged close to the first heater 38 and preferably comprises a portion located between heating segments 35 of the first heater 38. Preferably, this portion has a shape that corresponds to the heating segment 35.
- the other side of the first heat conducting element 40 is closely attached to the inner side of the dispenser casing 10.
- the heating unit 37 is adhered to the inner side of the dispenser casing 10 by means of adhesive means (not shown), with the hole of the first heat conducting element 40 being aligned with the through hole 27.
- the first heat conducting element 40, the first heater 38 and the second heater 39 all are flexible and deformable, such that the portion of the heating unit 37 located between line A and line B is arranged on the inclined wall 26, the portion thereof located above line A is bent and then is adhered to the top wall 32 of the dispenser casing, and the portion thereof located below line B is bent and then is connected to the upper end of the longitudinal wall 30.
- the first heater 38 is mainly arranged on the inclined wall 26 and the top wall 32 of the dispenser casing 10.
- the lower end portion of the first heater 38 extends to the upper end of the longitudinal wall 30.
- the heating segment 35 most close to the through hole 27 is arranged around the through hole 27.
- the major portion of the second heater 39 is arranged on the inclined wall 26. The portion located below line B of the second heater extends to the upper end of the longitudinal wall 30 together with that of the first heater 38.
- the first heater 38 and the second heater 39 are disposed on a first region 51 and a second region 52 of the dispenser casing 10 respectively.
- the first region 51 is adjacent to the second region 52, but they do not overlap each other.
- the first region 51 comprises the majorities of the inclined wall 26 and the top wall 32 as well as the upper end portion of the longitudinal wall 30 which is close to the inclined wall 26.
- the second region 52 has an area smaller than the first region 51 and is surrounded by the first region 51.
- the power of the second heater 39 is lower than that of the first heater 38.
- the power density of the second heater 39 is configured in such a way that the dispenser casing 10 is not subjected to overheating even if the second heater 39 is turned on for a long time or always turned on.
- the side of the longitudinal wall 30 which faces the heat insulating layer 6 is provided with a second heat conducting element 50, the upper end of which is connected to the first heater 38 and the second heater 39 or connected to the first heat conducting element 40.
- the first and second heaters 38 and 39 and/or the first heat conducting element 40 serve as a heat source for the second heat conducting element 50.
- the second heat conducting element 50 is of a high heat conductivity, the heat generated by the first and second heaters 38 and 39 is also transmitted to other portions of the longitudinal wall 30 that are not equipped with any heating element, such that the temperature of the whole longitudinal wall 30 can be increased so as to avoid the presence of condensate drops.
- the longitudinal wall 30 is located relatively distant from the ice transfer passage 29, such a configuration allows to avoid the presence of condensate drops on the longitudinal wall 30 without arranging any heater on the longitudinal wall 30 or merely by arranging a heater on the marginal region of the longitudinal wall 30 where is not easy to be touched by the user. Thus, energy consumption can be lowered. In addition, the situation that the user touches the high temperature region of the longitudinal wall 30 can be avoided.
- the second heat conducting element 50 comprises a metal foil of a high heat conductivity, such as aluminum foil.
- the second heat conducting element 50 covers at least substantially most of the longitudinal wall 30.
- the longitudinal wall 30 is entirely covered by the second heat conducting element 50.
- the second heat conduction element 50 is preferably adhered to the inner side of the longitudinal wall 30 by means of adhesive means, such as an adhesive tape.
- first and second heater 38 and 39 extend to the upper end of longitudinal wall 30.
- the invention is not limited thereto.
- the first and second heater 38 and 39 do not extend to the longitudinal wall 30; rather, the heat conducting element 50 may extend to a extend that is beyond the longitudinal wall 30 (such as extending to the inclined wall 26) so as to be contacted with the first and second heater 38 and 39 which lie outside the longitudinal wall 30.
- the first longitudinal sidewall 48 of the freezing compartment door 3 is located adjacent to the rotation axis of the freezing compartment door 3, so that the second longitudinal sidewall 49 opposite to the first longitudinal sidewall 48 is located distant from the rotation axis of the freezing compartment door 3 and close to the door of the refrigerating compartment.
- the freezing compartment door 3 is provided with a third heater 47 for supplying heat to the second longitudinal sidewall 49, so as to avoid the presence of condensate drops on the second longitudinal sidewall 49 due to the difference between surface temperature and the atmosphere temperature.
- the third heater 47 is attached to the inner side of the second longitudinal sidewall 49.
- the second longitudinal sidewall 49 is provided with a third heat conducting element 54 attached to the inner side thereof.
- the third heat conducting element 54 is located between the third heater 47 and the inner surface of the second longitudinal sidewall 49 to evenly transmit the heat generated by the third heater 47 to the second longitudinal sidewall 49.
- the third heat conducting element 54 is attached to the inner surface of the second longitudinal sidewall 49 by adhesive means (for example, an adhesive tape).
- the third heater 47 and/or the third heat conducting element 54 are arranged on a region of the second longitudinal sidewall 49 which is corresponded to the dispenser 8 in the longitudinal direction.
- the third heater 47 at least partially overlaps the dispenser 8 in a transverse direction.
- FIG. 5 shows a structural schematic diagram of the refrigerator according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Now a control method of the first heater 38 and the second heater 39 will be described with reference to Figure 5 .
- the refrigerator 1 comprises a control unit 41, and an input unit 43 and a display unit 44 coupled to the control unit 41 respectively, wherein the input unit 43 comprises the buttons or touch area 22 located on the control panel 20, and the display unit 44 comprises the display screen 21 located on the control panel 20.
- the control unit 41 comprises a microprocessor and a memory unit, such that some components of the refrigerator 1 such as the first heater 38 can be automatically controlled by means of a program stored in the memory unit.
- the refrigerator 1 further comprises a sensing unit 42 for detecting at least one environmental parameter.
- the sensing unit 42 is coupled to the control unit 41 and feeds back the detected parameter to the control unit 41.
- the sensing unit 42 comprises a temperature sensor for detecting ambient temperature.
- the sensing unit 42 controls the operation of the first heater 38, including turning on and turning off the first heater 38, based on the detected ambient temperature.
- the first heater 38 when the detected ambient temperature is lower than zero °C, the first heater 38 is turned off. When the detected ambient temperature is between 0 °C and 10 °C, the first heater 38 operates at a first output power and/or operates at a duty cycle of lower than 0.3. When the detected ambient temperature is between 10 °C and 15 °C, the first heater 38 is turned on at a second output power, or the first heater 38 is turned on and off in an alternative manner at a second duty cycle (for example, 0.4). When the detected ambient temperature is between 15 °C and 25 °C, the first heater 38 is turned on at a third output power and/or operates at a predetermined third duty cycle (for example, 0.5).
- the sensing unit 42 further comprises a humidity sensor for detecting ambient relative humidity.
- the control unit 41 controls the operations of the first heater 38 based on the detected ambient temperature, ambient relative humidity and other factors.
- the second heater 39 is controlled independently of the first heater 38. According to the invention, the second heater 39 is turned on only in an auxiliary heating mode, which is only manually initiated by the user. Thus, the user can, according to the dewing phenomenon on the refrigerator 1, make an active decision as to whether the second heater 39 should be actuated to increase heat for removing or preventing dewing.
- the auxiliary heating mode is actuated by means of switching means 45 arranged on the freezing compartment door 3.
- the switching means 45 is preferably arranged on the dispenser 8 or near the dispenser 8. Particularly preferably, the switching means 45 is arranged on the partition plate 15.
- the switching means 45 is electrically connected to the second heater 39, and the turning on and off states of the second heater 39 is determined by the switching on and off states of the switching means 45.
- the switching means 45 when the switching means 45 is in the switching off state and the refrigerator 1 operates in a normal mode, the first heater 38 is turned on or off based on an instruction from the control unit 41, and the second heater 39 is turned off.
- the refrigerator 1 actuates the auxiliary heating mode, the second heater 39 is turned on to supply extra heat to the dispenser casing 10, and at the same time the first heater 38 is turned on or off based on an instruction from the control unit 41.
- the switching means 45 can be provided independently of the control unit 41. For example, there is no coupling between the switching means 45 and the microprocessor of the control unit 41. In an alternative embodiment, the switching means 45 is connected to the control unit 41.
- the display unit 44 can display whether the refrigerator 1 is under the normal heating mode or the auxiliary heating mode, or the user can select the parameters displayed on the display unit 44 by means of the switching means 45 in order to initiate the auxiliary heating mode.
- the second heater 39 can be turned off by manually switching off the switching means 45, so that the auxiliary heating mode is ended.
- the second heater 39 can also be automatically turned off.
- the control unit 41 is configured in such a manner of automatically turning off the second heater 39 after the second heater 39 has been turned on for a predetermined time, such as 15 minutes. This can be achieved by virtue of timing means connected to the control unit 41.
- the timing means is configured in such a way that it generates a signal when the second heater 39 has been turned on for a predetermined time, and then the second heater 39 is turned off based on this signal. Under the condition that the switching means 45 is not coupled with the microprocessor of the control unit 41, this can be achieved by timing means connected to the switching means 45 or timing means embedded the switching means 45.
- the second heater 39 is also automatically controlled by the control unit 41.
- the second heater 39 is turned on only when ambient temperature is higher than a predetermined value (for example, 30 °C) and / or ambient relative humidity is higher than a predetermined value (for example, 80%).
- the control manner of the third heater 47 is the same as that of the first heater 38, that is, being automatically controlled by the control unit 41 based on detected parameters.
- the parameter comprises ambient temperature, ambient relative humidity and/or the temperature of the sidewall 49, such that the control unit 41 can control the third heater 47 based on the ambient temperature, the ambient relative humidity and/or the temperature of the sidewall 49, so as to for example determine whether or not the third heater 47 should be turned on, or determine the frequency of turning on and off or the duty cycle of the third heater 47.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Refrigerator Housings (AREA)
- Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
- Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
- Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
Description
- The invention relates to a refrigerator, especially to a household or commercial refrigerator which is provided with a dispenser.
- The freezing compartment of a refrigerator can usually reach a temperature of lower than minus ten °C or more. The refrigerator body and the door of the refrigerator are provided with heat insulating layers to avoid losing of cold energy caused by heat exchange between the cold air within the refrigerator and the surrounding environment. However, as the increase in the refrigerator's volume and in the number of the components of the refrigerator door (for example, a dispenser for dispensing water or ice), some portions of the refrigerator door which are exposed to the atmosphere may have relatively low temperature under the influence of the storage compartment. When the difference between the temperature of the surface exposed to the atmosphere and the atmosphere temperature reaches dew point temperature, condensation will appear on the surface. The phenomenon of water condensation around the dispenser is extremely significant.
- It is known in prior art that the particular surface temperature of the refrigerator can be increased by providing a heating element so at to prevent the generating of condensed water. For example,
US patent No. 6,862,891 B1 discloses a refrigerator which has a heating element located near an ice dispensing means and a control unit connected with the heating element. The control unit is configured such that the voltage supplied to the heating element is variable, so that the heating element may operate at different non-zero voltages for reducing energy consumption. A refrigerator according to the preamble of claim 1 is known fromUS 5 269 154 . - For various reasons such as the door generally having an irregular shape at a location corresponding to a dispenser casing, various portions of the dispenser casing having different distances from an ice transfer passage which passes through the door, the heat insulating layer having different thicknesses at different portions of the dispenser casing, etc., different areas of the dispenser casing may have different dewing possibilities. Thus, in a dew prevention / dew removing process, some areas of the door may be overheated while other areas may be of a temperature that is too low to prevent dewing.
- In view of these factors, an object of the invention is to solve at least one of the technical problems found in the prior art so that the temperature of the dispenser casing may be evenly increased with a higher energy efficiency to prevent the dispenser casing from forming condensation and / or to remove any condensed water from the dispenser casing.
- The invention in one aspect relates to a refrigerator which comprises a refrigerator body defining at least one storage space; a door connected to the refrigerator body for closing at least a part of the storage space, the door comprising a heat insulating layer; a dispenser provided in the door, the dispenser comprising a dispenser casing which is adjacent to the heat insulating layer; and a heater arranged at least adjacent to the inner side of the dispenser casing, characterized in that the refrigerator further comprises a heat conducting element which covers at least a part of the inner surface of the dispenser casing which faces toward the heat insulating layer, and the heat conducting element is arranged at least adjacent to the heater for transmitting the heat generated by the heater to the dispenser casing.
- In this way, the heat generated by the heater can be transmitted to the dispenser casing rapidly and evenly. On one hand, this configuration can prevent the portions of the dispenser casing which are adjacent to the heater from being overheated and the portions of the dispenser casing which are distant from the heater from being under heated and thus generating condensate, so that it is expected that condensation on the dispenser casing can be avoided with a reasonable energy consumption. On the other hand, by means of the heat transmitting function of the heat conducting element, the reaching area of the heat generated by the heater can be enlarged by the heat conducting element. That is to say, the heat generated by the heater may form a heat source for the heat conducting element and will be transmitted quickly by the heat conducting element, so that the deploying area of the heater can be advantageously reduced. For example, only the portions of the dispenser casing which are likely to occur condensation may be provided with a heater while other portions of the dispenser casing which are not likely to occur condensation may be only covered and supplied with heat by the heat conducting element.
- Other features which are disclosed individually or in combination as features of the invention are defined in attached claims.
- Although the heat conducting element may not directly contact with the heater, it is preferably that the heat conducting element contacts the heater according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, so that the heat generated by the heater may transmitted directly and quickly to the heat conducting element.
- According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dispenser casing defines a dispensing cavity for receiving at least a part of an outside container, the dispensing cavity comprises a dispensing cavity wall extending in a longitudinal direction, and the heat conducting element covers at least a major portion of the dispensing cavity wall. Thus, the dispensing cavity wall may be evenly heated to reduce the possibility of occurring condensation. In addition, the dispensing cavity wall may be touched by a user. For this end, the heat conducting element is provided for preventing the dispensing cavity wall from being overheated, and thus any potential harm to the user by the overheated dispensing cavity wall can be avoided.
- According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, only an edge area of the heat conducting element contacts the heater.
- According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper end of the heat conducting element contacts the heater.
- According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heat conducting element comprises a metal foil having a high heat conductivity, the metal foil establishes face-to-face contacting with the dispenser casing.
- According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the refrigerator comprises adhesive means for attaching the heat conducting element to the dispenser casing.
- According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heater is arranged adjacent to the ice transfer passage. In this way, the portions of the dispenser casing which are located near the ice transfer passage will obtain more heat, so that the condensation possibility can be reduced. In addition, in the condition that the ice transfer passage is blocked by a closure element which closes a through hole, the condition that the closure element is frozen and thus cannot be opend can be advantageously avoided by means of the first heater provided adjacent to the ice transfer passage.
- Although it is possible to arrange the heater adjacent to the dispenser casing but not directly contact with the dispenser casing, it is preferably that the heater is connected to the dispenser casing according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, so that the heat generated by the heater may be transmitted quickly to the dispenser casing, and thus the influence of the heat generated by the heater to the storage space is reduced.
- According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heater comprises a first heater and a second heater which are controlled independently from each other. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dispenser casing comprises a first area and a second area located near the first area, the first area and the second area are arranged adjacent to the heat insulating layer, and the first and second heater are disposed in the first area and the second area respectively. Thus, condensation can be prevented more effectively. For example, different heaters may be properly disposed according to the condensation characteristics of different areas of the dispenser casing, and it may prevent the occurring of condensation or removing the generated condensate more efficiently by individually control these heaters.
- The structure and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description to the preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings.
- The invention will be further understood by reading the following detailed description with reference to the drawings which are incorporated herein as a part of the description and illustrate the invention and in which:
-
Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a refrigerator according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. -
Figure 2 is a schematic partial sectional view taken along a direction indicated by line I-I ofFigure 1 . -
Figure 3 is a schematic view of a partly assembled door of the according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. -
Figure 4 is a schematic layout of a heating unit of a dispenser casing according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. -
Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of the refrigerator according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. - Please refer to the drawings, in particular
Figures 1 and2 . A refrigerator 1 comprises arefrigerator body 2 and twodoors 3 connected to therefrigerator body 2, as shown inFigures 1 and2 . - The
refrigerator body 2 comprises anouter shell 11, aninner shell 12 and aheat insulating layer 6 disposed between theouter shell 11 and theinner shell 12. In this embodiment, theheat insulating layer 6 is a foam-based insulating layer and is formed by foaming a heat insulating foam material. - The
refrigerator body 2 defines at least one storage space for storing food. In this embodiment, the storage space comprises afreezing compartment 7 and a refrigerating compartment (not shown) which are juxtaposed with each other. - The
doors 3 are pivotably connected to therefrigerator body 2 by hinges 4 respectively, and are rotatable about their corresponding rotation axes which are parallel to a vertical axis. As shown inFigure 2 , it is also provided with a foam-basedinsulating layer 6 inside each of thedoors 3. Thedoors 3 are usually closed to avoid escape of cold air from thefreezing compartment 7 and the refrigerating compartment. When desired, the user may open thecorresponding door 3 to perform an operation, such as taking out food from the freezing compartment or refrigerating compartment, or putting food into a corresponding storage compartment. The user can open or close thedoors 3 by means ofhandles 5. - In this embodiment, each
door 3 is configured to completely open or completely close a corresponding storage compartment. It can be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, and other embodiments are also possible. For example, in an alternative embodiment, one of the storage compartments may be opened or closed by twodoors 3. That is to say, eachdoor 3 may only open or close a part of such a storage compartment. - The
door 3 which is corresponded to the freezing compartment 7 (hereinafter referred to as freezing compartment door) is equipped with adispenser 8 to allow a user to take out ice and/or beverage (for example water), such as ice stored in the freezing compartment and water stored in a water tank arranged in the refrigerating compartment, without opening thedoor 3. Although in this embodiment thedispenser 8 is arranged in thedoor 3 which is corresponded to the freezing compartment, it shall be appreciated that it is also possible to arrange thedispenser 8 in a suitable way in thedoor 3 which is corresponded to the refrigerating compartment. - As shown in
Figures 2 and3 , the freezingcompartment door 3 comprises adoor panel 13 forming its front surface and aninner lining 23 facing towards the freezingcompartment 7 when the freezingcompartment door 3 is in its closed position. In this embodiment, thedoor panel 13 is made of a sheet metal material, and both sides of thedoor panel 13 are bent backwardly and extend to form into first and secondlongitudinal sidewalls heat insulating layer 6 is in tight contact with thedoor panel 13 and the first and secondlongitudinal sidewalls - The
door panel 13 has anopening 9 corresponding to thedispenser 8, whichopening 9 having a substantially square or rectangular shape. Thedispenser 8 comprises adispenser casing 10 received between thedoor panel 13 and theinner lining 23. Thedispenser casing 10 forms acavity 14 which is inwardly recessed and has a front open end. The shape and dimension of the front open end of theinner cavity 14 correspond to that of theopening 9 substantially. Theinner lining 23 protrudes toward the freezingcompartment 7 at the location corresponded to thedispenser casing 10, with a predetermined distance between the protruding portion of theinner lining 23 and thedispenser casing 10 for disposing theheat insulating layer 6. - The
dispenser 8 comprises apartition plate 15 within theinner cavity 14. Thepartition plate 15 is parallel to a horizontal plane and separates theinner cavity 14 into upper and lower portions. The portion of theinner cavity 14 located below thepartition plate 15 forms into a dispensingcavity 16 whose front end is kept open. The dispensingcavity 16 is configured to accept at least a part of an external container such as a cup. In this embodiment, the dispensingcavity 16 is recessed backwardly from the front surface of thedoor 3 with a certain curvature to a predetermined depth. - The dispensing
cavity 16 has a substantiallyflat support wall 17 for stably putting the external container thereon. Thesupport wall 17 has a plurality of thin through holes (not shown), through which any liquid that is splashed out or overflows accidentally during an ice or water dispensing process flows into awater gathering slot 19 arranged below thesupport wall 17. - The refrigerator 1 comprises a
control panel 20 arranged on the freezingcompartment door 3, and thecontrol panel 20 comprises adisplay screen 21 and a plurality of buttons or atouch area 22 for controlling the refrigerator 1. Thedisplay screen 21 can display the state of the refrigerator 1 and/or selectable parameters, etc. - In this embodiment, the
control panel 20 is arranged along the upper end of theopening 9, closely adjacent to the dispensingcavity 16. The portion of theopening 9 located above thepartition plate 15 is adapted to be conformed to the out profile of thecontrol panel 20, such that thecontrol panel 20 can be engaged by the corresponding edge of theopening 9. The portion of theinner cavity 14 located above thepartition plate 15 is shielded by thecontrol panel 20. - The
dispenser casing 10 comprises a cavity wall delimiting theinner cavity 14. The cavity wall comprises afirst portion 24 located below thepartition plate 15. Thefirst portion 24 comprises alongitudinal wall 30 for forming a longitudinal boundary of the dispensingcavity 16. Thelongitudinal wall 30 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane and has a substantially arc-shaped cross-section. Thelongitudinal wall 30 has a rear surface which is closely adjacent to theheat insulating layer 6 and an outer surface which is exposed to the atmosphere. - The
first portion 24 further comprises abottom wall 31 which is connected to the lower end of thelongitudinal wall 30 and extends forwardly. Thebottom wall 31 is located below thesupport wall 17 and spaced from thesupport wall 17 by a certain distance so as to form the above-mentionedwater gathering slot 19. - The cavity wall of the
dispenser casing 10 further comprises asecond portion 25 which is connected to the upper end of thefirst portion 24 and is located above thepartition plate 15. Thesecond portion 25 comprises aninclined wall 26 which extends from thelongitudinal wall 30 and is inclined forwardly. Theinclined wall 26 comprises a through hole 27 which allows ice to pass therethrough. The through hole 27 is configured as a part of anice transfer passage 29. Theice transfer passage 29 is used for transferring ice from anice storage unit 28 located within the freezingcompartment 7 to the dispensingcavity 16. Thesecond portion 25 further comprises atop wall 32 which forms the upper boundary of theinner cavity 14. Thesecond portion 25 has a hole 33 through which a water supply pipe (not shown) passes, which water supply pipe transmitting drinkable water to the dispensingcavity 16. - An
ice discharge pipe 34 forming a major part of theice transfer passage 29 is embedded in the freezingcompartment door 3. One end of theice discharge pipe 34 is connected to thesecond portion 25 and is in communication with the through hole 27. The other end of the ice discharge pipe is oriented towards a discharge outlet of theice storage unit 28 within the freezingcompartment 7 when the freezingcompartment door 3 is closed. Thereby, the ice discharged from theice storage unit 28 enters into theice discharge pipe 34, and then is guided to the dispensingcavity 16 by means of anice outlet 18 provided in thepartition plate 15. - As shown in
Figure 2 , the portion of theinner cavity 14 which lies above thepartition plate 15 is shielded by thecontrol panel 20; however, thesecond portion 25 of thedispenser casing 10 still communicates with the atmosphere, that is, thesecond portion 25 is still exposed to the atmosphere, because thepartition plate 15 is provided with theice outlet 18 which is in communication with the portion of theinner cavity 14 which lies above thepartition plate 15. - To prevent air within the freezing
compartment 7 from escaping from the freezingcompartment 7 through theice transfer passage 29 or prevent outside air from entering into the freezingcompartment 7 through theice transfer passage 29, thedispenser 8 is equipped with aclosure element 36 for opening or closing theice transfer passage 29. Usually, theice transfer passage 29 is closed by theclosure element 36. When there is a need for dispensing ice, theice transfer passage 29 is opened by means of theclosure element 36 to allow the transfer of ice. The shape and dimension of theclosure element 36 are substantially corresponded to that of the through hole 27, such that in the closed position the closure element closes the through hole 27 and thus closes theice transfer passage 29. In this embodiment, theclosure element 36 is connected to thesecond portion 25 of thedispenser casing 10 and is received in theinner cavity 14. - Under the influence of the freezing
compartment 7, the temperature of thedispenser casing 10 is usually lower than room temperature/ambient temperature. When the difference between ambient temperature and the temperature of thedispenser casing 10 reaches dew point temperature, condensate drops will be generated on thedispenser casing 10. The condensation possibility is relatively high due to the fact that thesecond portion 25 of thedispenser casing 10 is close to theice discharge pipe 34 and forms a part of theice transfer passage 29. For this end, the refrigerator 1 is provided with aheating unit 37 for increasing the surface temperature of thedispenser casing 10. As shown inFigure 2 , theheating unit 37 is arranged between thedispenser casing 10 and theheat insulating layer 6. -
Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of theheating unit 37 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. As shown inFigure 4 , theheating unit 37 comprises afirst heater 38 and asecond heater 39 adjacent to thefirst heater 38, for supplying heat to thedispenser casing 10. Thefirst heater 38 and thesecond heater 39 are preferably resistance heaters, i.e. performing heating by resistors. - In order to evenly transmit the heat generated by the
first heater 38 and thesecond heater 39 to thedispenser casing 10, theheating unit 37 further comprises a firstheat conducting element 40 for transmitting the heat generated by thefirst heater 38 and thesecond heater 39 to thedispenser casing 10. In this embodiment, the firstheat conducting element 40 is an aluminum foil having a high heat conductivity. - The first
heat conducting element 40 has a hole (not shown) which is corresponded to the through hole 27. Thefirst heater 38 and thesecond heater 39 can be arranged according to the distribution characteristics of condensate drops on thedispenser casing 10. In this embodiment, thefirst heater 38 comprises a plurality of arc-shapedheating segments 35 arranged around the hole. Thesecond heater 39 is arranged close to thefirst heater 38 and preferably comprises a portion located betweenheating segments 35 of thefirst heater 38. Preferably, this portion has a shape that corresponds to theheating segment 35. - After the
first heater 38 and thesecond heater 39 are arranged in a predetermined pattern on one side of the firstheat conducting element 40, the other side of the firstheat conducting element 40 is closely attached to the inner side of thedispenser casing 10. - The
heating unit 37 is adhered to the inner side of thedispenser casing 10 by means of adhesive means (not shown), with the hole of the firstheat conducting element 40 being aligned with the through hole 27. The firstheat conducting element 40, thefirst heater 38 and thesecond heater 39 all are flexible and deformable, such that the portion of theheating unit 37 located between line A and line B is arranged on theinclined wall 26, the portion thereof located above line A is bent and then is adhered to thetop wall 32 of the dispenser casing, and the portion thereof located below line B is bent and then is connected to the upper end of thelongitudinal wall 30. Thereby, in this embodiment, thefirst heater 38 is mainly arranged on theinclined wall 26 and thetop wall 32 of thedispenser casing 10. The lower end portion of thefirst heater 38 extends to the upper end of thelongitudinal wall 30. Theheating segment 35 most close to the through hole 27 is arranged around the through hole 27. The major portion of thesecond heater 39 is arranged on theinclined wall 26. The portion located below line B of the second heater extends to the upper end of thelongitudinal wall 30 together with that of thefirst heater 38. - In this embodiment, the
first heater 38 and thesecond heater 39 are disposed on afirst region 51 and asecond region 52 of thedispenser casing 10 respectively. Thefirst region 51 is adjacent to thesecond region 52, but they do not overlap each other. Thefirst region 51 comprises the majorities of theinclined wall 26 and thetop wall 32 as well as the upper end portion of thelongitudinal wall 30 which is close to theinclined wall 26. Thesecond region 52 has an area smaller than thefirst region 51 and is surrounded by thefirst region 51. - Preferably, the power of the
second heater 39 is lower than that of thefirst heater 38. Preferably, the power density of thesecond heater 39 is configured in such a way that thedispenser casing 10 is not subjected to overheating even if thesecond heater 39 is turned on for a long time or always turned on. - According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the side of the
longitudinal wall 30 which faces theheat insulating layer 6 is provided with a secondheat conducting element 50, the upper end of which is connected to thefirst heater 38 and thesecond heater 39 or connected to the firstheat conducting element 40. Thereby, the first andsecond heaters heat conducting element 40 serve as a heat source for the secondheat conducting element 50. - Since the second
heat conducting element 50 is of a high heat conductivity, the heat generated by the first andsecond heaters longitudinal wall 30 that are not equipped with any heating element, such that the temperature of the wholelongitudinal wall 30 can be increased so as to avoid the presence of condensate drops. Since thelongitudinal wall 30 is located relatively distant from theice transfer passage 29, such a configuration allows to avoid the presence of condensate drops on thelongitudinal wall 30 without arranging any heater on thelongitudinal wall 30 or merely by arranging a heater on the marginal region of thelongitudinal wall 30 where is not easy to be touched by the user. Thus, energy consumption can be lowered. In addition, the situation that the user touches the high temperature region of thelongitudinal wall 30 can be avoided. - Preferably, the second
heat conducting element 50 comprises a metal foil of a high heat conductivity, such as aluminum foil. In a particularly preferable embodiment, the secondheat conducting element 50 covers at least substantially most of thelongitudinal wall 30. For example, thelongitudinal wall 30 is entirely covered by the secondheat conducting element 50. The secondheat conduction element 50 is preferably adhered to the inner side of thelongitudinal wall 30 by means of adhesive means, such as an adhesive tape. - In order to prevent the portions of the
longitudinal wall 30 which are easy to be touched by the user from reaching a temperature which is greatly higher than ambient temperature, only an edge area of the secondheat conducting element 50 contacts the first andsecond heater heat conducting element 50 contacts the first andsecond heater - In the above embodiments, the first and
second heater longitudinal wall 30. However, the invention is not limited thereto. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the first andsecond heater longitudinal wall 30; rather, theheat conducting element 50 may extend to a extend that is beyond the longitudinal wall 30 (such as extending to the inclined wall 26) so as to be contacted with the first andsecond heater longitudinal wall 30. - The first
longitudinal sidewall 48 of the freezingcompartment door 3 is located adjacent to the rotation axis of the freezingcompartment door 3, so that the secondlongitudinal sidewall 49 opposite to the firstlongitudinal sidewall 48 is located distant from the rotation axis of the freezingcompartment door 3 and close to the door of the refrigerating compartment. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the freezingcompartment door 3 is provided with athird heater 47 for supplying heat to the secondlongitudinal sidewall 49, so as to avoid the presence of condensate drops on the secondlongitudinal sidewall 49 due to the difference between surface temperature and the atmosphere temperature. In this embodiment, thethird heater 47 is attached to the inner side of the secondlongitudinal sidewall 49. - The second
longitudinal sidewall 49 is provided with a thirdheat conducting element 54 attached to the inner side thereof. The thirdheat conducting element 54 is located between thethird heater 47 and the inner surface of the secondlongitudinal sidewall 49 to evenly transmit the heat generated by thethird heater 47 to the secondlongitudinal sidewall 49. Preferably, the thirdheat conducting element 54 is attached to the inner surface of the secondlongitudinal sidewall 49 by adhesive means (for example, an adhesive tape). - It is most preferably to arrange the
third heater 47 and/or the thirdheat conducting element 54 on a region of the secondlongitudinal sidewall 49 which is corresponded to thedispenser 8 in the longitudinal direction. Preferably, thethird heater 47 at least partially overlaps thedispenser 8 in a transverse direction. -
Figure 5 shows a structural schematic diagram of the refrigerator according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Now a control method of thefirst heater 38 and thesecond heater 39 will be described with reference toFigure 5 . - The refrigerator 1 comprises a
control unit 41, and aninput unit 43 and adisplay unit 44 coupled to thecontrol unit 41 respectively, wherein theinput unit 43 comprises the buttons ortouch area 22 located on thecontrol panel 20, and thedisplay unit 44 comprises thedisplay screen 21 located on thecontrol panel 20. Thecontrol unit 41 comprises a microprocessor and a memory unit, such that some components of the refrigerator 1 such as thefirst heater 38 can be automatically controlled by means of a program stored in the memory unit. - The refrigerator 1 further comprises a
sensing unit 42 for detecting at least one environmental parameter. Thesensing unit 42 is coupled to thecontrol unit 41 and feeds back the detected parameter to thecontrol unit 41. In this embodiment, thesensing unit 42 comprises a temperature sensor for detecting ambient temperature. Thesensing unit 42 controls the operation of thefirst heater 38, including turning on and turning off thefirst heater 38, based on the detected ambient temperature. - In a preferred embodiment, when the detected ambient temperature is lower than zero °C, the
first heater 38 is turned off. When the detected ambient temperature is between 0 °C and 10 °C, thefirst heater 38 operates at a first output power and/or operates at a duty cycle of lower than 0.3. When the detected ambient temperature is between 10 °C and 15 °C, thefirst heater 38 is turned on at a second output power, or thefirst heater 38 is turned on and off in an alternative manner at a second duty cycle (for example, 0.4). When the detected ambient temperature is between 15 °C and 25 °C, thefirst heater 38 is turned on at a third output power and/or operates at a predetermined third duty cycle (for example, 0.5). - In an alternative embodiment, the
sensing unit 42 further comprises a humidity sensor for detecting ambient relative humidity. Thecontrol unit 41 controls the operations of thefirst heater 38 based on the detected ambient temperature, ambient relative humidity and other factors. - The
second heater 39 is controlled independently of thefirst heater 38. According to the invention, thesecond heater 39 is turned on only in an auxiliary heating mode, which is only manually initiated by the user. Thus, the user can, according to the dewing phenomenon on the refrigerator 1, make an active decision as to whether thesecond heater 39 should be actuated to increase heat for removing or preventing dewing. - In a preferred embodiment, the auxiliary heating mode is actuated by means of switching means 45 arranged on the freezing
compartment door 3. The switching means 45 is preferably arranged on thedispenser 8 or near thedispenser 8. Particularly preferably, the switching means 45 is arranged on thepartition plate 15. - In one embodiment, the switching means 45 is electrically connected to the
second heater 39, and the turning on and off states of thesecond heater 39 is determined by the switching on and off states of the switching means 45. Preferably, when the switching means 45 is in the switching off state and the refrigerator 1 operates in a normal mode, thefirst heater 38 is turned on or off based on an instruction from thecontrol unit 41, and thesecond heater 39 is turned off. When the user operates the switching means 45 to switch on it, the refrigerator 1 actuates the auxiliary heating mode, thesecond heater 39 is turned on to supply extra heat to thedispenser casing 10, and at the same time thefirst heater 38 is turned on or off based on an instruction from thecontrol unit 41. - The switching means 45 can be provided independently of the
control unit 41. For example, there is no coupling between the switching means 45 and the microprocessor of thecontrol unit 41. In an alternative embodiment, the switching means 45 is connected to thecontrol unit 41. For example, thedisplay unit 44 can display whether the refrigerator 1 is under the normal heating mode or the auxiliary heating mode, or the user can select the parameters displayed on thedisplay unit 44 by means of the switching means 45 in order to initiate the auxiliary heating mode. - The
second heater 39 can be turned off by manually switching off the switching means 45, so that the auxiliary heating mode is ended. In an alternative embodiment, thesecond heater 39 can also be automatically turned off. For example, thecontrol unit 41 is configured in such a manner of automatically turning off thesecond heater 39 after thesecond heater 39 has been turned on for a predetermined time, such as 15 minutes. This can be achieved by virtue of timing means connected to thecontrol unit 41. The timing means is configured in such a way that it generates a signal when thesecond heater 39 has been turned on for a predetermined time, and then thesecond heater 39 is turned off based on this signal. Under the condition that the switching means 45 is not coupled with the microprocessor of thecontrol unit 41, this can be achieved by timing means connected to the switching means 45 or timing means embedded the switching means 45. - In an alternative embodiment, the
second heater 39 is also automatically controlled by thecontrol unit 41. For example, thesecond heater 39 is turned on only when ambient temperature is higher than a predetermined value (for example, 30 °C) and / or ambient relative humidity is higher than a predetermined value (for example, 80%). - In the embodiment shown in
Figure 5 , the control manner of thethird heater 47 is the same as that of thefirst heater 38, that is, being automatically controlled by thecontrol unit 41 based on detected parameters. In a preferred embodiment, the parameter comprises ambient temperature, ambient relative humidity and/or the temperature of thesidewall 49, such that thecontrol unit 41 can control thethird heater 47 based on the ambient temperature, the ambient relative humidity and/or the temperature of thesidewall 49, so as to for example determine whether or not thethird heater 47 should be turned on, or determine the frequency of turning on and off or the duty cycle of thethird heater 47.
Claims (11)
- A refrigerator (1) comprising:a refrigerator body (2) defining at least one storage space (7);a door (3) connected to the refrigerator body (2) for closing at least a part of the storage space (7), the door (3) comprising a heat insulating layer (6);a dispenser (8) provided in the door (3), the dispenser (8) comprising a dispenser casing (10) which is adjacent to the heat insulating layer (6); anda heater (38, 39) arranged at least adjacent to the inner side of the dispenser casing (10),characterized in that the refrigerator further comprises a heat conducting element (40, 50) which covers at least a part of the inner surface of the dispenser casing (10) which faces toward the heat insulating layer (6), and the heat conducting element (40, 50) is arranged at least adjacent to the heater (38, 39) for transmitting the heat generated by the heater (38, 39) to the dispenser casing (10).
- The refrigerator (1) of claim 1, characterized in that the heat conducting element (40, 50) contacts the heater (38, 39).
- The refrigerator (1) of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the dispenser casing (10) defines a dispensing cavity (16) for receiving at least a part of an outside container, the dispensing cavity (16) comprises a dispensing cavity wall (30) extending in a longitudinal direction, and the heat conducting element (50) covers at least a major portion of the dispensing cavity wall (30).
- The refrigerator (1) of any one of preceding claims, characterized in that only an edge area of the heat conducting element (50) contacts the heater (38, 39).
- The refrigerator (1) of any one of preceding claims, characterized in that the upper end of the heat conducting element (50) contacts the heater (38, 39).
- The refrigerator (1) of any one of preceding claims, characterized in that the heat conducting element (40, 50) comprises a metal foil having a high heat conductivity, the metal foil establishes face-to-face contacting with the dispenser casing (10).
- The refrigerator (1) of any one of preceding claims, characterized in that the refrigerator comprises adhesive means for attaching the heat conducting element (40, 50) to the dispense casing (10).
- The refrigerator (1) e of any one of preceding claims, characterized in that the refrigerator comprises an ice transfer passage (29) extending through the door (3), the heater (38, 39) being arranged near the ice transfer passage (29).
- The refrigerator (1) of any one of preceding claims, characterized in that the heater (38, 39) is connected to the dispenser casing (10).
- The refrigerator (1) of any one of preceding claims, characterized in that the heater (38, 39) comprises a first heater (38) and a second heater (39) which are controlled independently from each other.
- The refrigerator (1) of claim 1, characterized in that the dispenser casing (10) comprises a first area (51) and a second area (52) located located near the first area (51), the first area (51) and the second area (52) are arranged adjacent to the heat insulating layer (6), and the first and second heater (38, 39) are disposed in the first area (51) and the second area (52) respectively.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
PL09805690T PL2373941T5 (en) | 2008-12-08 | 2009-12-08 | Refrigerator |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
CN2008102441145A CN101749910B (en) | 2008-12-08 | 2008-12-08 | Refrigerator |
PCT/EP2009/066619 WO2010066725A2 (en) | 2008-12-08 | 2009-12-08 | Refrigerator |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2373941A2 EP2373941A2 (en) | 2011-10-12 |
EP2373941B1 true EP2373941B1 (en) | 2015-04-15 |
EP2373941B2 EP2373941B2 (en) | 2019-04-24 |
Family
ID=42243117
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP09805690.6A Active EP2373941B2 (en) | 2008-12-08 | 2009-12-08 | Refrigerator |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20110283731A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2373941B2 (en) |
CN (1) | CN101749910B (en) |
PL (1) | PL2373941T5 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010066725A2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
KR101696846B1 (en) * | 2015-06-17 | 2017-01-16 | 동부대우전자 주식회사 | Refrigerator and manufacturing method thereof |
DE102018204911A1 (en) * | 2018-03-07 | 2019-09-12 | BSH Hausgeräte GmbH | Domestic appliance with a sensor unit arranged on a closure element |
CN110375501B (en) * | 2019-07-15 | 2021-02-26 | 合肥美的电冰箱有限公司 | Control method and control device for refrigeration equipment and distributor thereof |
CN216814768U (en) * | 2021-11-16 | 2022-06-24 | 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司 | Door body assembly and refrigerator with same |
Family Cites Families (16)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3640088A (en) * | 1970-06-03 | 1972-02-08 | Gen Electric | Household refrigerator including exterior ice service |
US5269154A (en) * | 1992-07-17 | 1993-12-14 | Whirlpool Corporation | Heated ice door for dispenser |
NZ248935A (en) * | 1992-11-02 | 1995-10-26 | White Consolidated Ind Inc | Refrigerator door ice dispenser: actuator dimensioned to accommodate polystyrene cup |
WO1998005060A1 (en) * | 1996-07-31 | 1998-02-05 | The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University | Multizone bake/chill thermal cycling module |
US6389833B1 (en) * | 1997-10-24 | 2002-05-21 | Jose B. Bouloy | Evaporator having defrosting capabilities |
US6889517B1 (en) * | 1999-12-30 | 2005-05-10 | General Electric Company | Heated dispenser door and method |
US6324853B1 (en) * | 2000-09-28 | 2001-12-04 | Spx Corporation | De-icing for low temperature refrigeration devices |
US6983565B2 (en) * | 2003-01-10 | 2006-01-10 | Jamison Door Company | Air heated, flexible door panel |
KR100487768B1 (en) * | 2003-03-03 | 2005-05-06 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Refrigerator having hot water dispenser |
US6862891B2 (en) * | 2003-06-02 | 2005-03-08 | General Electric Company | Methods and apparatus for controlling heating within refrigerators |
CA2482383C (en) * | 2003-10-06 | 2012-05-15 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Heater controller and heater control method of refrigerator |
CN1627017A (en) * | 2003-12-12 | 2005-06-15 | 乐金电子(天津)电器有限公司 | Refrigerator possessing function of supplying hot water |
CN100529610C (en) * | 2004-10-27 | 2009-08-19 | 乐金电子(天津)电器有限公司 | Water tank mounting structure for refrigerator |
DE202005014373U1 (en) * | 2005-09-12 | 2006-01-05 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | No-frost refrigerating appliance |
DE202006013233U1 (en) * | 2006-08-29 | 2006-10-26 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | A method for sealing the gap between the doors of a double door refrigeration appliance has a swivelling bar along the inside vertical edge of the first door against which the second door seal contacts |
US9803912B2 (en) * | 2010-08-17 | 2017-10-31 | Component Hardware Group, Inc. | Condensate evaporator for refrigeration apparatus |
-
2008
- 2008-12-08 CN CN2008102441145A patent/CN101749910B/en active Active
-
2009
- 2009-12-08 EP EP09805690.6A patent/EP2373941B2/en active Active
- 2009-12-08 PL PL09805690T patent/PL2373941T5/en unknown
- 2009-12-08 US US13/133,155 patent/US20110283731A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2009-12-08 WO PCT/EP2009/066619 patent/WO2010066725A2/en active Application Filing
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CN101749910B (en) | 2012-02-08 |
PL2373941T5 (en) | 2019-10-31 |
WO2010066725A3 (en) | 2010-11-11 |
PL2373941T3 (en) | 2015-09-30 |
EP2373941B2 (en) | 2019-04-24 |
CN101749910A (en) | 2010-06-23 |
WO2010066725A2 (en) | 2010-06-17 |
EP2373941A2 (en) | 2011-10-12 |
US20110283731A1 (en) | 2011-11-24 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
EP2373939B1 (en) | Refrigerator | |
US10072886B2 (en) | Refrigerator | |
US20110283733A1 (en) | Refrigerator | |
US9216895B2 (en) | Refrigerator appliance with hot water dispenser | |
US8033133B2 (en) | Ice bin storage window | |
KR20160005339A (en) | Refrigerator appliance with hot water dispenser | |
EP2373941B1 (en) | Refrigerator | |
KR100701955B1 (en) | Process for controling thawing room unit of refrigerator | |
EP2373938B1 (en) | Refrigerator | |
US20170023258A1 (en) | Panel assemblies for appliances | |
EP4040090A1 (en) | Refrigerator appliance with an ice making system | |
JP6609152B2 (en) | refrigerator | |
US20210190407A1 (en) | Refrigerator and control method thereof | |
JP2017083099A (en) | refrigerator | |
JP2021046984A (en) | refrigerator | |
JP2009210220A (en) | Cooking device | |
KR20200032968A (en) | Water heating module including independence controller |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20110708 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A2 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR |
|
DAX | Request for extension of the european patent (deleted) | ||
GRAJ | Information related to disapproval of communication of intention to grant by the applicant or resumption of examination proceedings by the epo deleted |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSDIGR1 |
|
GRAP | Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1 |
|
INTG | Intention to grant announced |
Effective date: 20140819 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R079 Ref document number: 602009030714 Country of ref document: DE Free format text: PREVIOUS MAIN CLASS: F25D0023120000 Ipc: F28D0001040000 |
|
RIC1 | Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant |
Ipc: F28D 1/04 20060101AFI20141201BHEP Ipc: F28D 1/053 20060101ALI20141201BHEP Ipc: F25B 40/00 20060101ALI20141201BHEP Ipc: F01P 3/18 20060101ALI20141201BHEP |
|
GRAP | Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1 |
|
GRAS | Grant fee paid |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3 |
|
INTG | Intention to grant announced |
Effective date: 20150212 |
|
GRAA | (expected) grant |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210 |
|
RAP1 | Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred) |
Owner name: BSH HAUSGERAETE GMBH |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: B1 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: GB Ref legal event code: FG4D Ref country code: CH Ref legal event code: EP |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: IE Ref legal event code: FG4D |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: AT Ref legal event code: REF Ref document number: 722226 Country of ref document: AT Kind code of ref document: T Effective date: 20150515 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R096 Ref document number: 602009030714 Country of ref document: DE Effective date: 20150528 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: NL Ref legal event code: VDEP Effective date: 20150415 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: AT Ref legal event code: MK05 Ref document number: 722226 Country of ref document: AT Kind code of ref document: T Effective date: 20150415 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: LT Ref legal event code: MG4D |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: NL Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: PL Ref legal event code: T3 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: ES Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 Ref country code: LT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 Ref country code: NO Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150715 Ref country code: PT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150817 Ref country code: HR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 Ref country code: FI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150716 Ref country code: IS Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150815 Ref country code: LV Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 Ref country code: AT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R026 Ref document number: 602009030714 Country of ref document: DE |
|
PLBI | Opposition filed |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009260 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: EE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 Ref country code: DK Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 |
|
PLAX | Notice of opposition and request to file observation + time limit sent |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNOBS2 |
|
26 | Opposition filed |
Opponent name: LIEBHERR-HAUSGERAETE OCHSENHAUSEN GMBH Effective date: 20160114 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: SK Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 Ref country code: CZ Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 Ref country code: RO Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20150415 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: BE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20151231 Ref country code: SI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 |
|
PLBB | Reply of patent proprietor to notice(s) of opposition received |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNOBS3 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: MC Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 Ref country code: LU Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20151208 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: CH Ref legal event code: PL |
|
GBPC | Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20151208 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: BE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: IE Ref legal event code: MM4A |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: ST Effective date: 20160831 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: LI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20151231 Ref country code: GB Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20151208 Ref country code: IE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20151208 Ref country code: CH Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20151231 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: FR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20151231 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: HU Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT; INVALID AB INITIO Effective date: 20091208 Ref country code: BG Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 Ref country code: SM Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: CY Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 Ref country code: SE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: MT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 |
|
RIC2 | Information provided on ipc code assigned after grant |
Ipc: F25D 23/12 20060101ALI20180322BHEP Ipc: F25D 21/04 20060101AFI20180322BHEP Ipc: F25C 5/20 20180101ALI20180322BHEP Ipc: F25D 21/08 20060101ALI20180322BHEP |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: MK Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150415 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Payment date: 20181218 Year of fee payment: 10 |
|
PUAH | Patent maintained in amended form |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009272 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: PATENT MAINTAINED AS AMENDED |
|
27A | Patent maintained in amended form |
Effective date: 20190424 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: B2 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R102 Ref document number: 602009030714 Country of ref document: DE |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20191208 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R084 Ref document number: 602009030714 Country of ref document: DE |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: TR Payment date: 20231130 Year of fee payment: 15 Ref country code: DE Payment date: 20231231 Year of fee payment: 15 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: PL Payment date: 20231127 Year of fee payment: 15 |