EP2467656B1 - Refrigerator with defrost water channel and siphon - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, with a coolable interior and a Abtauwasserkanal through which defrost water from the interior of the refrigerator in a located outside of the interior evaporation tray can be discharged, wherein at the transition between the Abtauwasserkanal and the evaporation tray a siphon is arranged.

In a cooling device of the type mentioned, the evaporator is often arranged in an evaporator space separate from the refrigerated goods within the coolable interior (Nofrost device). By means of a circulating air fan, the air cooled by the evaporator is transported to the refrigerated goods. As with all refrigeration appliances, moisture from the ambient air condenses on the evaporator where it forms ice. The evaporator is therefore regularly defrosted, the defrost water is discharged from the interior of the refrigerator via a Abtauwasserkanal. The defrost water flows into a particular located on the back of the refrigerator evaporation tray and evaporates. In order to prevent an influx of ambient air through the Abtauwasserkanal in coolable interior, ie in the cold room or in the case of a Nofrost device in the evaporator room, in the Abtauwasserkanal z. B. integrated a siphon. In the siphon, the defrost water collects and thus forms a closure which prevents the ingress of ambient air into the coolable interior of the refrigerator.

Out US 2 907 180 A a refrigeration device is known in which such a siphon is embedded in the insulating layer surrounding the interior.

Simplified installation of the siphon and easier access to the siphon in case of clogging will be achieved if the siphon, as in US 3 137 146 shown beyond the insulation layer is arranged in a machine room of the refrigerator.

The evaporation tray is in the refrigerator according to US 3 137 146 arranged above the compressor of the refrigerator, so as to reduce the waste heat of the compressor for evaporation to use. There is a risk that the water in the siphon also heats up and evaporates so quickly that the siphon is deactivated before the next time the refrigeration unit or the evaporator is defrosted.

Since the water drain on the evaporator is usually on the suction side of the circulating air fan, the fan can suck in ambient air when the siphon is empty. This absorbed moisture can accumulate along the Abtauwasserkanals, but also on fan blades or on the Abtauwasserablauf facing part of the evaporator and its surroundings and lead to ice formation at these points. Since the defrost heaters are not optimally designed for this type of moisture accumulation, this ice formation can permanently disrupt the function of the device or even override the device if defrosting is no longer possible.

The invention therefore has the task of finding a solution that does not have the disadvantages described above. In particular, the risk of deactivation of the siphon by evaporation should be reduced without complicating the installation of the siphon.

The invention solves this problem by a refrigeration device according to claim 1. Since the bottom of the siphon is formed by an elevated region of the defrost water tray (8) and arranged above the water level in the evaporation tray in the maximum filled state, in particular ensures that the water in the siphon is not in heat-conducting contact with the water in the evaporation tray because it is separated from it by an air-filled space. In a cup siphon, a tube opens with its outlet end down into a cup-like container. When water flows into the siphon through the pipe, it fills the cup and closes the outlet end of the pipe. In the case of a siphon, the bottom of the siphon is the lowest point of the cup into which the defrost water channel coming from above opens. The training as a siphon makes it possible to mount the Abtauwasserkanal separated from the Siphontasse. By integrating the bottom of the siphon into the defrost water tray, the siphon cup does not need to be mounted as a stand-alone component.

The section of the Abtauwasserkanals between siphon and evaporation tray is also preferably made of poor thermal conductivity material, in particular thermoplastic or elastomeric plastic. Preferably, the wall thickness of Abtauwasserkanals between siphon and evaporation tray is optimized in terms of poor heat conduction.

The water level in the evaporation tray in its maximum filled state is the highest defrost water level that can be present in the evaporation tray. This may be the water level just before overflowing the evaporation tray. However, it may also be the water level, which is present directly after a defrost cycle of the refrigerator, so if there is so much defrost water in the evaporation tray, as is defrosted at a maximum from the evaporator chamber or the interior of the refrigerator.

The bottom of the siphon is the lowest point of the siphon, which can be filled with defrost water. The floor does not have to be level, it can also be a round or bulbous floor. In this case, the lowest point of the bottom of the siphon should be above the water level in the evaporation tray.

According to one embodiment, the defrosting water located in the evaporation tray can be heated by waste heat from the refrigeration appliance. On the one hand, this can be done by arranging the evaporation tray in the vicinity of the compressor of the refrigerator, in particular above the compressor. Moreover, it is also possible to guide a hot gas tube through the evaporation tray, through which refrigerant flows, which has been compressed by the compressor of the refrigerator. As a result, two advantages can be achieved: On the one hand, the hot gas pipe heats the water in the evaporation tray and thereby evaporates it. On the other hand, the refrigerant coming from the compressor is pre-cooled before it flows through the condenser coils. The bottom of the siphon is formed by a raised area of defrosting water. This has the advantage that a part of the siphon and the Abtauwasserschale one piece, for example, as a plastic part, in particular plastic injection molded part, can be formed. For example, the cup of the siphon may be formed integrally with the evaporation tray. In addition, on this Ensuring that the overflowing from the siphon water is safely collected in the evaporation tray.

The bottom of the siphon is arranged, for example, 0.5 cm - 10 cm above the water level of the evaporation tray in the maximum filled state. That way avoided that a heat exchange between the defrost water in the evaporation tray and the water takes place in the siphon, since there is an air-filled gap between them.

According to a further embodiment of the siphon is provided with a cover. This further reduces the evaporation of water from the siphon.

The refrigerator is in particular a household refrigeration appliance, for example a refrigerator, a freezer, a wine cabinet or a fridge-freezer.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Rückansicht eines Haushaltskältegeräts gemäß Stand der Technik;

Fig. 2

einen schematischen Querschnitt durch eine Abtauwasserschale mit Siphon gemäß Stand der Technik;

Fig. 3

einen schematischen Querschnitt durch eine Abtauwasserschale und Siphon gemäß einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung;

Fig. 4

einen schematischen Querschnitt durch eine Abtauwasserschale und einen Siphon gemäß einer zweiten Ausführungsform der Erfindung;

The invention will now be explained in more detail by means of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings show:

Fig. 1

a schematic rear view of a household refrigerator according to the prior art;

Fig. 2

a schematic cross section through a Abtauwasserschale with siphon according to the prior art;

Fig. 3

a schematic cross section through a Abtauwasserschale and siphon according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4

a schematic cross section through a Abtauwasserschale and a siphon according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Corresponding parts are identified in the figures with the same reference numerals.

Fig. 1 schematically shows the back of a household refrigerator 1. In the upper part is indicated by the dashed line 2 of the evaporator chamber 2 of the coolable interior of the refrigerator, in which in a Nofrost device, the evaporator is arranged. In the rear region of the evaporator chamber 2 is a water outlet 4, through which the defrost water is passed through the insulation of the refrigerator to the outside. From there it is by a Abtauwasserkanal 5 on the back 3 of the refrigerator 1 after led down and opens into a defrost water 8, which is located above the compressor 10 of the refrigerator. At the mouth of Abtauwasserkanals 5 in the evaporation tray 8 a cup siphon 6 is arranged. The defrost water 13 is in Fig. 1 and the other figures each shown dotted.

How out Fig. 1 it can be seen, the cup siphon 6 extends in the prior art into the evaporation tray 8 and is wetted by the defrost water 13 in the evaporation tray 8 from the outside, which also heat the defrost water in the siphon 6 and thereby evaporate faster.

In Fig. 2 a cup siphon 6 is shown in an evaporation tray 8 according to the prior art in magnification. The bottom of the siphon is level with the bottom 18 of the evaporation tray so that heat from the evaporation tray 8 over the walls 12 of the cup siphon into the water 13 within the siphon is transmitted, which evaporates faster.

In Fig. 3 Now, an arrangement of siphon 6 and evaporation tray 8 is shown according to a first embodiment of the invention. Again, the siphon 6 is a cup siphon, the bottom 20, however, is increased relative to the bottom 18 of the evaporation tray 8. In particular, it has a distance t from the water level 15 of the evaporation tray 8 when it is filled to the maximum, which distance is for example 1 to 3 cm.

In addition, in Fig. 3 a cover 16 on the siphon 6 visible. This extends over the top of the cup 12, with the recess of an inlet for the Abtauwasserkanal 5, and over part of the side walls of the cup 12. In this case, a gap is left, so that on the one hand by the defrost water from the cup 12 displaced air, and in addition overflowing defrost water from the cup 12 can flow into the evaporation tray 8.

Through the water 13 in the evaporation tray 8, a hot gas pipe 22 is guided, through which refrigerant flows from the refrigerant circuit. In particular, the refrigerant after compression in the compressor 10 passed through the evaporation tray 8 to give a portion of its heat to the water 13 so that it evaporates faster. Fig. 4 shows a schematic cross section through an arrangement of siphon 6 and evaporation tray 8 according to a second embodiment of the invention. Here the siphon 6 is designed differently. In particular, it has a circular bottom 20, the lowest point of which has a distance t to the water level 15 in the evaporation tray in its maximum filled state. In addition, the walls of the cup 12 are extended down through the sections 17 to the bottom 18 of the evaporation tray 8 to ensure a defined distance between siphon 6 and evaporation tray 8. The sections 17 consist z. B. of a heat-insulating plastic. In addition, the lid 16 of the siphon 6 is designed differently. In this embodiment, the lid 16 is sealingly placed on the walls 12 of the bowl siphon, and has only at one point an outlet 24 through which the defrost water from the siphon 6 can flow into the evaporation tray 8.

In addition, in the embodiment of the Fig. 4 a hot gas pipe 22 is passed through the evaporation tray 8 to heat the defrost water therein and to evaporate faster.

In the Fig. 3 and 4 the siphon 6 has been shown in each case in the middle of the evaporation tray 8. It is understood that the siphon can of course also be arranged in an edge region of the defrost water 8.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

The refrigerator

2

evaporation chamber

3

Rear wall of the refrigerator

4

water drain

5

Abtauwasserkanal

6

siphon

8th

evaporation tray

10

compressor

12

Cup of the siphon

13

defrost water

14

Outlet end of the defrost water channel 5

15

water surface

16

cover

17

wall extension

18

Bottom of the defrost water cup

20

Bottom of the siphon

22

Hot gas pipe

Claims (7)

1. Refrigerator (1), in particular domestic refrigerator, having a coolable interior and a defrost water channel (5), through which defrost water (13) can be discharged from the interior of the refrigerator (1) into an evaporator pan (8) positioned outside of the interior, wherein a siphon (6) embodied as a siphon cup is arranged at the transition between the defrost water channel (5) and the evaporator pan (8), wherein the base (20) of the siphon (6) is arranged above the maximum water level (15) possible in the evaporator pan (8) when it is full, characterised in that the base (20) of the siphon (6) is formed by a raised area of the evaporator pan (8).
2. Refrigerator according to claim 1, characterised in that the defrost water channel made from poorly heat-conducting material, in particular from thermoplastic or elastomer plastic, is provided between the siphon (6) and the evaporator pan (8).
3. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that defrost water (13) disposed in the evaporator pan (8) can be heated by waste heat from the refrigerator.
4. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the evaporator pan (8) is arranged above a compressor (10) of the refrigerator.
5. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a hot gas pipe (22), through which coolant flows which has been compressed by the compressor (10) of the refrigerator, is guided through the evaporator pan (8).
6. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the base (20) of the siphon (6) is arranged approximately 0.5 cm to 10 cm above the water level (15) in the evaporator pan (8) when it is full.
7. Refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the siphon (6) is provided with a cover (16).

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