EP2682693A2 - Refrigeration appliance with an ice or water output - Google Patents

Abstract

The appliance (102) has an ice dispenser (112) or a water dispenser (114), where a water guide surface is assigned to the ice dispenser or the water dispenser, for conducting melting or dripping water into a collecting trough. The water guide surface forms a rear wall of the ice dispenser or the water dispenser. The water guide surface is externally concave, and includes a slope leading to the water collecting trough, where a cover is associated with the water collecting trough.

Description

The invention relates to a refrigerator with an ice dispenser or a water dispenser. Furthermore, the invention relates to a refrigerator unit comprising two refrigerators, of which the first refrigerator has an ice dispenser and the second refrigerator has a water dispenser.

Refrigeration appliances, in particular designed as household appliances refrigerators are known and are used to housekeeping in households or in the catering sector to store perishable food and / or drinks at certain temperatures.

Such refrigerators are increasingly provided with an ice dispenser for dispensing water ice cubes and / or crushed ice (crushed ice). Further, such refrigerators are additionally provided with a water outlet for the discharge of cooled water. For the derivation of melted or dripping water provided with openings covers are provided. In addition, such ice dispensing and water dispensing have different visual appearances, which affects the overall visual impression, especially when two refrigerators are combined to form a refrigeration appliance ensemble, one of the refrigeration appliances having an ice dispenser and the other refrigerating appliance having a water dispenser.

It is therefore the object underlying the invention to provide a refrigeration device or a refrigerator unit with a visually appealing appearance.

These objects are achieved by the objects having the features according to the independent claims. Advantageous developments are the subject of the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

The present invention is based on the recognition that a particularly visually appealing appearance can be achieved when the ice dispensing and water dispensing are optically matched.

According to a first aspect, the object according to the invention is achieved by a refrigeration device in which the ice dispenser or the water dispenser is assigned a water guidance surface is. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that can be dispensed with a provided with breakthroughs for the dissipation of molten or dripping water cover. This gives the refrigerator a particularly visually appealing appearance.

A refrigeration device is understood in particular to be a household appliance, that is to say a refrigeration device which is used for housekeeping in households or in the gastronomy sector, and in particular serves to store food and / or drinks at specific temperatures, such as, for example, a refrigerator, a freezer, a refrigerator Fridge freezer, a freezer or a wine fridge.

In an advantageous embodiment, the water guide surface for guiding melt or dripping water is formed in a drip pan of the ice dispenser or the water dispenser. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that melting or dripping water can collect in the drip pan and can be stored there until emptying the drip pan.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the water guide surface forms a back wall of the ice dispenser or the water dispenser. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that no additional component must be provided as a water guide. This reduces the manufacturing effort.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the water guide surface is concavely curved on the outside. This achieves the technical advantage that melted or dripping water in a top section of the rear wall experiences a greater acceleration due to gravity than in sections of the rear wall, which lie below the upper section in the refrigeration device vertical direction.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the water guide surface has a leading to the drip pan gradient. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that melting or dripping water flows automatically by gravity into the sump.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the water guide surface in refrigerator depth direction on a positive slope. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that are provided by this orientation of the slope of Wasserleitfläche particularly visually appealing ice and water issues.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the drip pan is associated with a cover. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that the sump is invisible hidden for a user.

In a further advantageous embodiment, a gap for the passage of melted or dripping water is formed between the water guide surface and the cover. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that for a user creates the impression that melting or dripping water almost disappears in the void.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the cover is designed as a second water guide surface. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that melted or dripping water is passed from the cover into the sump.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the second water guide surface has a leading to the drip pan gradient. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that melting or dripping water flows automatically by gravity into the sump.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the cover in refrigerator depth direction on a negative slope. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that are provided by the different orientation of the slopes of the first and the second Wasserleitfläche particularly visually appealing ice and water issues.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the second water guide is flat. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that the cover is particularly easy to manufacture.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the first and / or second Wasserleitfläche on a lotus coating. This achieves the technical advantage of improving the water conductivity and preventing the formation of water marks which affect the visual appearance.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the ice or water dispenser is disposed on the outside of the refrigerator. As a result, the technical advantage is achieved that a removal water ice cubes and / or crushed ice from the ice dispenser or chilled water from the water dispenser is possible without opening the inner container of the refrigerator, preventing the ingress of hot air through the nonopening of the inner container and thus reducing the energy consumption of the inner container Refrigerating device is reduced.

According to a second aspect, the object according to the invention is achieved by a refrigeration unit comprising two refrigerating appliances, of which the first refrigerating appliance has such an ice dispenser and the second refrigerating appliance has such a water dispenser, the first refrigerating appliance and the second refrigerating appliance each having a water guiding surface, each associated with the ice dispenser and the water dispenser. Thus, the ice dispensing and the water dispensing are matched by their visual appearance perceptible to a user, so that a refrigeration appliance ensemble with the first refrigeration appliance with the ice dispenser and the second refrigeration appliance with the water dispenser has a visually appealing appearance.

• Fig. 1 eine Vorderansicht eines Kältegeräteensembles, umfassend ein erstes Kältegerät mit einer Eisausgabe und ein zweite Kältegerät mit einer Wasserausgabe,
• Fig. 2 eine perspektivische Darstellung der Eisausgabe der Fig. 1,
• Fig. 3 eine weitere perspektivische Darstellung der Eisausgabe der Fig. 1,
• Fig. 4 eine Schnittdarstellung der Eisausgabe der Fig. 1,
• Fig. 5 eine weitere perspektivische Darstellung der Eisausgabe ohne Abdeckung der Auffangwanne der Fig. 1,
• Fig. 6 eine perspektivische Darstellung der Wasserausgabe der Fig. 1,
• Fig. 7 eine weitere perspektivische Darstellung der Wasserausgabe der Fig. 1,
• Fig. 8 eine Schnittdarstellung der Wasserausgabe der Fig. 1, und
• Fig. 9 eine weitere perspektivische Darstellung der Wasserausgabe ohne Abdeckung der Auffangwanne der Fig. 1.

Further embodiments will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

• Fig. 1 4 is a front view of a refrigeration appliance ensemble comprising a first refrigeration device with an ice dispenser and a second refrigerating appliance with a water dispenser;
• Fig. 2 a perspective view of the ice edition of Fig. 1 .
• Fig. 3 another perspective view of the ice edition of Fig. 1 .
• Fig. 4 a sectional view of the ice edition of Fig. 1 .
• Fig. 5 another perspective view of the ice dispensing without covering the drip pan Fig. 1 .
• Fig. 6 a perspective view of the water edition of Fig. 1 .
• Fig. 7 another perspective view of the water edition of Fig. 1 .
• Fig. 8 a sectional view of the water output of Fig. 1 , and
• Fig. 9 another perspective view of the water issue without covering the drip pan Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 1 shows two refrigerators as embodiments of a first refrigeration device 102 and a second refrigerator 104, which together form a refrigerator unit 100. In the present embodiment, the first refrigerator 102 as a freezer and the second refrigerator 104 are formed as a refrigerator.

The first refrigeration device 102 has a freezer door 106 freezer door 106 on its refrigerator front 110. By opening the freezer door 106, an interior of the first refrigeration device 102 can be made accessible in order to store or remove grated food in it. On the outside, i. accessible with the freezer door 106 closed, an ice dispenser 112 is disposed. Ice dispenser 112 is configured to dispense water ice cubes and / or crushed ice.

Like the first refrigeration appliance 102, the second refrigeration appliance 104 has a refrigerator door 108 on its refrigerator front side 110. By opening the refrigerator door 108, an interior of the second refrigerator 104 can also be made accessible here in order to store or remove refrigerated goods therein. On the outside, i. accessible with the refrigerator door 108 closed, a water outlet 114 is arranged here. The water outlet 114 is designed to dispense cooled, liquid water.

Both refrigerators 102, 104 have for cooling of frozen or refrigerated each a refrigerant circuit with an evaporator (not shown), a compressor (not shown), a condenser (not shown) and a throttle body (not shown).

The evaporator is designed as a heat exchanger in which, after expansion, the liquid refrigerant is absorbed by heat from the medium to be cooled, i. Air inside the refrigerator, is evaporated.

The compressor is a mechanically driven component that draws refrigerant vapor from the evaporator and expels it at a higher pressure to the condenser.

The condenser is designed as a heat exchanger in which, after compression, the evaporated refrigerant is released by heat to an external cooling medium, i. the ambient air is liquefied.

The throttle body is a device for the continuous reduction of the pressure by reduction in cross section.

The refrigerant is a fluid used for heat transfer in the cryogenic system which absorbs heat at low temperatures and low pressure of the fluid and releases heat at higher temperature and higher pressure of the fluid, usually including changes in state of the fluid.

The FIGS. 2 and 3 show the ice dispenser 112. The ice dispenser 112 has an ice dispensing housing 200, which was made in the present embodiment of plastic by injection molding. The ice dispensing housing 200 has two opposing side walls 202, a back wall 204, a ceiling 206, and a floor 208.

Arranged in the ceiling 206 is an ice dispensing opening 212 through which water ice cubes and / or crushed ice may be dispensed. This operation can be triggered by operating an actuating lever 210 which is pivotally mounted in the refrigerator depth direction Y to the ceiling 206 and actuates a microswitch (not shown) connected to a control (not shown) of the ice dispenser 112 for signal transmission Water ice cubes and / or crushed ice (crushed ice) to effect.

In the bottom 208, a drip pan 214 is provided, in which melt water can collect. The sump 214 is covered with a cover 216 arranged above the sump 214, which can be removed (see Fig. 5 ) to clean the sump 214. The cover 206 is made in the present embodiment of plastic by injection molding.

In the present embodiment, both the rear wall 204 and the cover 216 are formed as water guide surfaces, which conduct melt water into the drip pan 214. In the present embodiment, in order to improve the water conductivity and prevent the formation of water-mark spoiling optical appearance, the back wall 204 and the cover 206 are provided with a lotus coating Mistake. In order for melt water to reach the collecting trough 214, a gap 218 is formed between the cover 216 and the rear wall 204.

Fig. 4 shows that, for this purpose, the rear wall 204 has a leading to the sump 214 slope, so that melt water by gravity flows from the rear wall 204 into the sump 214. The rear wall 204 is formed on the outside concave curved in the present embodiment. Thus, melt water in an upper portion of the rear wall 204 experiences greater acceleration by gravity than in portions of the rear wall 204 that are below the upper portion in refrigerator overhead Z direction.

Furthermore, the rear wall 204 in the present embodiment in the refrigerator depth direction Y has a positive slope, so that melt water flows by gravity from the rear wall 204 into the drip pan 214.

Further shows Fig. 4 in that, in the present exemplary embodiment, the cover 216 designed as a meltwater guide surface has a negative gradient in the refrigeration device depth direction Y. The cover 216 is flat.

Fig. 5 shows the drip tray 214 disposed in the floor 208 when the cover 216 has been removed.

The arrangement of the rear wall 204 and the cover 216, each with a different gradient and the formation of the gap 218 between the rear wall 204 and the cover 216 creates the impression for a user that the melt water virtually disappears in the void.

The 6 and 7 on the other hand show the water output 114. The water outlet 114 has a water dispensing housing 600, which was made in the present embodiment of plastic by injection molding. The water dispensing housing 600 has the same structure as the ice dispensing housing 200, so it has two opposing side walls 602, a back wall 604, a ceiling 606 and a bottom 608. However, the ice dispensing housing 200 has a smaller extension in refrigerator depth direction Y than the water dispenser housing 600.

As with the ice dispenser 112, the water dispenser 114 in the ceiling 606 has a water dispensing opening 612 through which cooled, liquid water can be dispensed. This process can also be triggered by actuating an actuating lever 610 which is mounted in the refrigerator depth direction Y pivotally mounted on the ceiling 606 and a micro-switch (not shown) which is connected to a controller (not shown) of the water output 114 control signal transmitting to the delivery to effect cooled, liquid water. Thus, the ice dispenser 112 and the water dispenser 114 have the same structure.

Also as in the ice dispensing 112, a sump 614 is provided at the water outlet 114 in the bottom 608, in which dripping water can collect. In the present exemplary embodiment, the collecting trough 614 has the same dimensions, ie the same width in refrigerating appliance width direction X, the same depth in refrigerating appliance depth direction Y and the same height in refrigerating appliance height direction Z. The drip pan 614 is also covered with a cover 616 disposed above the drip pan 614, which can be removed (see Fig. 9 ) to clean the sump 214. The cover 606 is made in the present embodiment of plastic by injection molding. In the present embodiment, the cover 616 has the same structure and the same dimensions as the cover 216 belonging to the ice dispenser 112.

In the present exemplary embodiment, both the rear wall 604 and the cover 616 are designed as water guide surfaces, which guide dripping water into the drip pan 614. The back wall 604 and the cover 616 are provided in the present embodiment with a lotus coating to improve the water conductivity and to prevent the formation of water spots. So that dripping water can enter the drip pan 614, a gap 618 is again formed between the cover 616 and the rear wall 604.

Fig. 8 shows that, for this purpose, the rear wall 604 has a leading to the drip pan 614 slope, so that melt water by gravity flows from the rear wall 604 into the drip pan 614. However, due to the smaller extent in refrigerator depth direction Y, the water output 114 is greater in the fall of the back wall 604 compared to the ice output 112 than the back wall 204 of the ice dispenser (see FIG Fig. 4 ). Likewise, the rear wall 604 in the present exemplary embodiment has a concave curvature on the outside. So also experiences the dripping water in an upper section of the Rear wall 604 a greater acceleration by gravity than in sections of the rear wall 604, which lie in refrigeration unit Z direction below the upper portion.

Further, the back wall 604 as the rear wall 204 of the ice dispenser 112 in the present embodiment in the refrigerator depth direction Y has a positive slope, so that melt water by gravity flows from the rear wall 604 into the sump 214.

Further shows Fig. 8 in that, in the present exemplary embodiment, the cover 616 formed as a drip-water guiding surface, like the cover 216 of the ice-suction 112, has a negative gradient in the refrigerator depth direction Y. In this case, the cover 616 is also flat.

Fig. 8 shows the drip pan 614 disposed in the floor 608 when the cover 616 has been removed.

As with the ice dispenser 112, for a user, the disposition of the back wall 604 and the cover 616, each having a different slope and the formation of the gap 618 between the back wall 604 and the cover 616, gives the impression that dripping water virtually disappears in the void.

Thus, the ice dispenser 112 and the water dispenser 114 are aligned with their user perceivable visual appearance, so that a refrigeration unit ensemble with the first refrigerator 102 having the ice dispenser 112 and the second refrigerator 104 with the water dispenser 114 has a visually pleasing appearance.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

100 Freezers Ensemble 600 Water dispenser housing 102 first refrigeration device 602 Side wall 104 second refrigeration device 604 rear wall 106 freezer door 606 blanket 108 refrigerator door 608 ground 110 Cold front panel 610 actuating lever 112 ice releasing 612 Water discharge opening 114 water issue 614 drip tray 616 cover 200 Eisausgabegehäuse 618 gap 202 Side wall 204 rear wall X The refrigerator width direction 206 blanket Y The refrigerator depth direction 208 ground Z The refrigerator height direction 210 actuating lever 212 ice discharge 214 drip tray 216 cover 218 gap

Claims (15)

Refrigeration appliance (102, 104), with an ice dispenser (112) or a water dispenser (114), characterized in that the ice dispenser (112) or the water dispenser (114) is associated with a water guide. Refrigeration appliance (102, 104) according to claim 1, characterized in that the water guide surface for guiding melted or dripping water in a collecting trough (214, 614) of the ice dispenser (112) or the water outlet (114) is formed. Refrigeration appliance (102, 104) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the water guide surface forms a rear wall (204, 604) of the ice dispenser (112) or the water dispenser (114). Refrigeration appliance (102, 104) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the Wasserleitfläche is curved concavely on the outside. Refrigerating appliance (102, 104) according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the water guide surface has a leading to the collecting trough (214, 614) leading gradient. Refrigerating appliance (102, 104) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the water guide surface in the refrigerator depth direction (Y) has a positive slope. Refrigeration appliance (102, 104) according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the collecting trough (214, 614) is associated with a cover (216, 616). Refrigeration appliance (102, 104) according to claim 7, characterized in that between the Wasserleitfläche and the cover (214, 614), a gap (218, 618) for the passage of melted or dripping water is formed. Refrigerating appliance (102, 104) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the cover (214, 614) is designed as a second water guide surface. Refrigeration appliance (102, 104) according to claim 9, characterized in that the second Wasserleitfläche has a leading to the collecting trough (214, 614) leading gradient. Refrigeration appliance (102, 104) according to claim 10, characterized in that the cover (214, 614) in refrigeration device depth direction (Y) has a negative slope. Refrigerating appliance (102, 104) according to claim 9, 10 or 11, characterized in that the second Wasserleitfläche is flat. Refrigerating appliance (102, 104) according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the first and / or second water guide surface has a lotus coating. Refrigeration appliance (102, 104) according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the ice dispenser (112) or the water dispenser (114) is arranged outside the refrigerator. Refrigeration appliance ensemble (100), comprising two refrigeration appliances (102, 104), of which the first refrigeration appliance (102) has an ice dispenser (112) and the second refrigeration appliance (104) has a water dispenser (114) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first refrigeration device (102) and the second refrigeration device (104) each have a water guide surface, which are respectively associated with the ice dispenser (112) and the water dispenser (114).

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