EP2596300B1 - Refrigeration device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular a domestic refrigeration appliance, specifically the structure or the installation of a refrigerant circuit in the refrigerator.

The refrigerant circuit of a conventional domestic refrigerator has a plurality of components such as compressors, condensers, evaporators, valves for controlling the flow of refrigerant and / or distributing the refrigerant to a plurality of evaporators, which must be tightly connected to each other during assembly of the apparatus. Conventionally, these components are provided with connecting pipe pieces, which are brought into contact with each other after the installation of the components and soldered in pairs to close the refrigerant circuit. The positions of the solder joints arise here more or less uncontrolled by the connecting pipe pieces are bent to bring their ends into contact with each other. If this results in a contact point in the vicinity of a heat-sensitive component of the device, the pipe sections must be bent again to place the contact point to a location where a soldering can be performed. If the connecting pipe pieces are then bent again to place them in a desired position in the device, there is a risk of damage to the solder joint.

Since the position of the connections between the pipe sections varies from one refrigeration device to another, it is difficult to automate both the connection of the pipe sections to one another and a subsequent tightness test of the finished connections. This makes the manufacture of the refrigerator consuming.

Out JP2001 199231 A a car air conditioning system is known in which a connection support member are attached to a heat exchanger assembly, are connected to the pipe sections in pairs to a supply or return line for a heat transfer fluid. The connecting member part comprises a web with two open-edged cutouts, which is pushed onto two of the pipe sections from the lateral direction.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration device in which the refrigerant circuit is quick and easy to install and is particularly suitable for automated production.

The object is achieved by a refrigeration device having the features of claim 1. The connection carrier part forces a reproducible positioning of the connections, which makes it considerably easier for a processing machine to find the points to be connected. By the open-edged cutout has a core area remote from the edge and an entrance area connecting the core area to the edge, which is narrower than the core area, rapid placement and secure positive-fit retention of the first tubular piece on the connection support part are ensured on the one hand. By being narrower than the entrance area of the cutout, the narrow portion of the first tube piece can be moved therethrough. The inner end portion, when engaged in the core area, can no longer pass the entrance area because it is wider than this. The outer end portion rests securely on the web, since it in turn is wider than the core region.

The components may be any known per se components of a refrigerant circuit such as a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a throttle, a dryer, a frame heater, a valve or the like.

In the simplest case, the connections each comprise a solder joint between two connecting pipe pieces of different components.

According to another embodiment, the connections may each comprise a connection pipe piece fastened to the connection support part itself, wherein a pipe piece leading to one of the components is connected at each end of the connection pipe piece.

The connecting pipe pieces are preferably U-shaped to allow bringing both pipe pieces leading to the components from a same direction.

Preferably, the joined ends of the pipe pieces are vertically aligned with the support member. This facilitates a uniform distribution of solder, adhesive, sealant or the like at the connection, so that dense connections are obtained with high reliability.

In order to achieve a compact, easy to assemble construction, it is preferred that the connecting pipe pieces extend without crossing in a same plane.

The ends of the connecting pipe pieces are preferably oriented upward to receive in each case inserted from above, leading to the components pipe sections.

In general, two pipe pieces connected to one another at the connection support part, no matter whether they are connection pipe pieces of the components or a connection pipe piece underneath, preferably a first pipe piece is inserted into a widened end portion of the second pipe piece.

In order to fix a connection between pipe sections, the connection support part has a web with at least one open-edged cutout, in each of which a first of two interconnected pipe sections is suspended.

The cutouts of the web can be suitably indexed to allow the attachment of only a particular first piece of pipe. This can help to eliminate mistakes during assembly. An indexing can in particular consist in the choice of different cross-sectional dimensions, preferably different diameters, for different first tube pieces or the core areas of the cutouts receiving them.

Conveniently, the connection support member further comprises at least one recess into which engages the second tube piece spaced from the first tube piece connected to it. Such a recess provides protection against a bending load of the connection between the pipe sections, which could lead to a leak.

In order to provide protection against bending in two mutually perpendicular directions, the recess is preferably, in contrast to the above-mentioned cutouts, as a hole formed with a continuous edge. In order to be introduced in the longitudinal direction in the recess, the second piece of pipe is expediently not expanded at its end to be joined.

A provided on the recess clamping means for fixing the second tube piece can simplify the assembly, in which it fixes the tube pieces in a position suitable for producing a tight connection position each other.

The web having open-edged cutouts and a recess having the web can be angled from a base plate of the connecting carrier part. Such a connection support part can be made simple and inexpensive by punching and bending of sheet or other flat material.

The connection support part can be mounted at different locations in the refrigeration device, preferably in a machine room of the refrigeration device, for example on the compressor, on a rail carrying the compressor, on a side wall, etc. A central placement which is easily accessible for all machining operations of the assembly is preferred It is also conceivable to integrate the connection support part directly into the housing of the compressor.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung des Kältemittelkreislaufs eines Haushaltskältegeräts;

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Verbindungsträgerteils gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung;

Fig. 3

einen Ausschnitt des Verbindungsträgerteils mit darin platzierten Rohrstücken;

Fig. 4

die Anordnung der Fig. 3 im Schnitt;

Fig. 5

eine Ansicht eines mit Verbindungsrohrstücken bestückten Verbindungsträgerteils;

Fig. 6

eine Teilansicht eines Verdampfergehäuses mit integriertem Verbindungsträgerteil; und

Fig. 7

eine Abwandlung des Verdampfergehäuses der Fig. 6.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of the refrigerant circuit of a household refrigerator;

Fig. 2

a perspective view of a connection support part according to the present invention;

Fig. 3

a section of the connecting carrier part with pipe pieces placed therein;

Fig. 4

the arrangement of Fig. 3 on average;

Fig. 5

a view of a equipped with connecting pipe pieces connection carrier part;

Fig. 6

a partial view of an evaporator housing with integrated connection carrier part; and

Fig. 7

a modification of the evaporator housing the Fig. 6 ,

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the refrigerant circuit of a household refrigerator, which shows a plurality of components of the refrigerant circuit in their positioning relative to each other on the finished refrigerator, the housing of the refrigerator itself is omitted, however, to show the components more clearly. These components include a compressor 1, which is conventionally housed in a niche 2, also referred to as a machine room, shown in the figure as a dotted outline, in a lower rear region of the refrigerator body. A condenser 3, which receives compressed refrigerant from the compressor 1, may be plate-shaped as shown in the figure and may be mounted exposed on the rear side of the refrigerator body above the engine room 2; a compact-shaped condenser could also be accommodated in the machine room 2 and cooled by a fan. From the condenser 3, the refrigerant passes through a throttle point, here in the form of a capillary 4, in an evaporator 5, which is shown here as a coldwall evaporator, and from there via a suction line 7 back to the compressor. 1

A frame heater 6 is formed by a refrigerant pipe, which extends along one of the door of the refrigerator housing side facing side of the body to prevent condensation there. The frame heater can be inserted in the refrigerant circuit between the compressor 1 and the condenser 3 or also downstream of the condenser 3. Smaller components such as a dryer or a particulate filter may be inserted at various locations in the refrigerant circuit. As other components valves not shown may be provided to prevent unwanted displacements of the refrigerant, for example between condenser 3 and evaporator 5 at times when the compressor 1 is out of operation, or to a refrigeration device to control the distribution of the refrigerant to the evaporator with several storage chambers and evaporators associated with each of these storage chambers.

To connect the above-mentioned components with each other is at the Fig. 1 facing away from the viewer, during assembly of the device easily accessible back of the compressor 1 in Fig. 2 provided in perspective view connecting member 8 is provided. The connecting support part 8 is integrally formed from sheet metal and comprises a substantially rectangular base plate 9, at the upper and lower edges of each web 10 and 11 is bent at right angles. At the vertical edges of the base plate 9, a tongue 12 is cut free and angled to conform to the outer shape of the housing of the compressor 1 and to allow attachment of the connecting support member 8 by screwing, spot welding or the like.

The upper web 10 has a plurality of circular recesses 13, 14, 15, with which each open-edged cutouts 16, 17, 18 of the lower web 11 are aligned. The cutouts 16, 17, 18 each have a keyhole-like shape with a round core region 19 and an input region 20 which connects the core region 19 to the edge of the web 11 and is narrower than the core region 19.

The open-edge cutouts 16, 17, 18 are provided to therein, as in 3 and 4 shown in detail, hang a piece of pipe 21. A main part 22 of the pipe section has a constant diameter which is slightly smaller than the width of the entrance area 20 and consequently can pass the entrance area 20. The main part 22 is adjoined by an inner end section 23, which is slightly widened in comparison with the main part 22. Its diameter is greater than the width of the input area 20, so that the pipe section 21 can no longer easily pass the entrance area 20 when the inner end section 23 is located at the level of the web 11. At the inner end portion 23 in turn adjoins a further widened outer end portion 24 which forms a stop and prevents the pipe piece 21 escapes downwardly from its cutout 16, 17 or 18.

As in Fig. 2 to recognize, at least some of the cutouts 16, 17, 18 of the web 11 each have different dimensions, and that is the width of the entrance area 20 of a recess each slightly larger than the diameter of the core portion 19 of the next smaller section. By selecting a value which is smaller than the diameter of the core region 19 of the next larger cutout for the outer diameter of the outer end section 24 of a pipe section 21, it is ensured that each pipe section 21 is securely fixed only in that recess 16, 17 or 18 can, which is intended for this purpose. Thus, errors in the placement of the pipe sections 21 on the connection support member 8 can be effectively prevented.

It is not absolutely necessary that all sections of the web 11 differ in their dimensions, since even by a suitable choice of the length of a pipe to be connected piece 21, an erroneous assembly can be excluded at a far away cutouts.

Each with the core portions 19 of the cutouts 16, 17, 18 aligned recesses 13, 14, 15 also have different diameters. As in 3 and 4 to recognize, in each of these recesses 13, 14, 15, an elastic ring 25 is locked, which carries a narrow, down to the web 11 tapered frustoconical elastic skirt 26. The skirt 26 is widened by a pipe piece 27 pushed through the ring 25 from above and engaging in the inner end portion 23. While the skirt 26 due to their orientation, the insertion of the pipe section 27 opposes only slight resistance from above, it greatly impedes escape of the pipe section 27 upwards. The provisional fixation considerably facilitates the soldering of the pipe sections 21, 27 to each other, for example with the aid of a ring 28 made of solder alloy, which, prior to the insertion of the pipe section 27 in FIG the outer end portion 24 of the pipe section 21 is inserted and the material is distributed evenly during melting between the pipe sections 21, 27 at the level of the inner end portion 23.

The provisional fixation of the pipe sections 21, 27 on the connection support part 8 also allows the use of other joining techniques than soldering; since the fixation of the pipe section 27 in its opening 13, 14 or 15 bending moments, which act on the pipe section 27 remote from the connection support part 8, from the compound of Pipe sections 21, 27 keeps away, also connecting or sealing materials can be used, which are less mechanically resilient than the solder, or need the longer time to harden. Thus, it may well be of interest to dispense with the use of solder for the simple handling and in particular the avoidance of high process temperatures and instead, for example, to inject a liquid adhesive into the outer end section 24, which subsequently enters the gap between inner end section 23 and pipe section 27 penetrates and seals by solidifying in the gap, the pipe sections together and firmly together.

The pipe sections 21, 27 considered above can each be an integral part of a refrigeration cycle component, such as the condenser 3, the capillary line 4, the evaporator 5 or the frame heater 6, but this presupposes that each of two components to be connected has one piece of pipe, that is like the tube piece 21 is suitably shaped to be hung firmly on the web 11 and to receive the other tube piece 27 with low tolerance. This requirement does not apply to a structure of Fig. 5 shown type. To see here is in a front view of a connecting member 8 similar to the in Fig. 2 shown, and a plurality of hinged in the recesses of the lower web 11 of the connecting beam part 8, U-shaped connecting pipe pieces 29. The connecting pipe pieces 29 are provided at both ends with a secure suspension on the web 11 enabling inner and outer end portions 23, 24. In the open ends of the connecting pipe pieces 29 to be inserted pipe sections 21 may therefore have a constant diameter, which is particularly advantageous if it is the pipe sections 21 to integral components of components of the refrigerant circuit. The diameters of the end sections 23, 24 may differ from one connecting pipe section 29 to the other, as explained above and in the figure

Deviating from the presentation of Fig. 5 For example, a connecting pipe piece 29 may also have at its two ends end portions 23, 24 of different dimensions in order to connect together pipe pieces of different diameters belonging to different components of the refrigerant circuit. Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a compressor 1 according to another embodiment of the invention. The compressor 1 has in a conventional manner a sound-absorbing housing, which is composed of two hermetically interconnected shells 30, 31 and the edges of which are widened to each other touching flanges 32, 33. One of these flanges is in turn widened to a web for anchoring the pipe sections 21, 27 to be joined together, in the present case it is the flange 32 of the upper shell 30. In analogy to the preceding embodiments, this web is denoted by 10, and a one-piece formed with a side wall of the lower shell 31, provided with open-edged recesses with 11. The housing of the evaporator 1 acts here as a connection support part. The assembly of the pipe sections takes place in the same way as with respect to 3 and 4 described.

Fig. 7 shows a variant of the compressor 1, in which a portion of the web 11 is omitted, because two pipe sections 34, which each form a suction port and a pressure port of the compressor 1, require no anchoring in the web 11.

Claims (14)

1. Refrigeration device, in particular domestic refrigeration device, having a coolant circuit in which a number of components (1; 3; 4; 5; 6) are connected to one another by pipe sections (21, 27, 29, 34), wherein connections of the pipe sections (21, 27, 29, 34) are formed with one another in pairs on a connecting support structure (8, 30, 31) fastened in the refrigeration device, wherein the connecting support structure (8) includes a web (11) with at least one section (16; 17; 18) with open edges, into which a first (21; 29) of two pipe sections (21; 27; 29) which are connected to one another is suspended in each instance, characterised in that the section (16; 17; 18) with the open edges comprises a core area (19) which is remote from the edge and an input area (20) connecting the core area (19) to the edge, said input area being narrower than the core area (19) and the first pipe section (21; 29) having a narrow section (22) which is narrower than the input area (20) of the section (16, 17, 18), an inner end section (23) which is wider than the input area (20) and fits into the core area (19) and an outer end section (24) which is wider than the core area (19).
2. Refrigeration device according to claim 1, characterised in that the components (1; 3; 4; 5; 6) are selected from a compressor (1), a condenser (3), an evaporator (5), a throttle point (4), a dryer, a frame heater (6), a valve.
3. Refrigeration device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the connections each include at least one soldered joint.
4. Refrigeration device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the connected ends of the pipe sections (21, 27, 29, 34) are aligned vertically on the connecting support structure (8; 30; 31).
5. Refrigeration device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connections each include a connecting pipe section (29) fastened to the connecting support structure (8; 30; 31), wherein a pipe section (21) leading to one of the components (1; 3; 4; 5; 6) is connected to each end of the connecting pipe section.
6. Refrigeration device according to claim 5, characterised in that the connecting pipe sections (29) are U-shaped.
7. Refrigeration device according to claim 6 , characterised in that the connecting pipe sections (29) extend in a level plane without any intersections.
8. Refrigeration device according to claim 6 or 7, characterised in that the ends (23, 24) of the connecting pipe sections (29) are aligned upwards.
9. Refrigeration device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a first (27) of two pipe sections (21, 27, 29, 34) connected to one another on the connecting support structure (8, 30, 31) is inserted into a widened end section (23, 24) ofthe second (21; 29, 34) pipe section.
10. Refrigeration device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the sections (16, 17, 18) are indexed in order to enable attachment in each case of just one specific first pipe section (21).
11. Refrigeration device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connecting support structure (8, 30, 31) comprises at least one recess (13; 14; 15) into which the second pipe section (27) engages at a distance from the first pipe section (21; 29; 31) connected thereto.
12. Refrigeration device according to claim 11, characterised in that a clamping means (25) for fixing the second pipe section (27) is provided on the recess (13; 14; 15).
13. Refrigeration device according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that the web (11) comprising the sections (17, 18, 19) with open edges and a web (11) comprising the recess (13, 14, 15) are angled from a base plate (9) of the connecting support structure (8).
14. Refrigeration device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connecting support structure (8) is fastened to the compressor (1) or integrated into the housing (30, 31) of the compressor (1).

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