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
  • F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
  • F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
  • F25D17/06—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation
• • 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
  • F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
  • F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
  • F25D17/042—Air treating means within refrigerated spaces
• • 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
  • F25D23/06—Walls
  • F25D23/069—Cooling space dividing partitions
• • 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
  • F25D2317/00—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
  • F25D2317/04—Treating air flowing to refrigeration compartments
  • F25D2317/041—Treating air flowing to refrigeration compartments by purification
  • F25D2317/0413—Treating air flowing to refrigeration compartments by purification by humidification
• • 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
  • F25D2317/00—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
  • F25D2317/04—Treating air flowing to refrigeration compartments
  • F25D2317/041—Treating air flowing to refrigeration compartments by purification
  • F25D2317/0413—Treating air flowing to refrigeration compartments by purification by humidification
  • F25D2317/04131—Control means therefor
• • 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
  • F25D27/00—Lighting arrangements
  • F25D27/005—Lighting arrangements combined with control means

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer with at least one body and with at least one cooled interior surrounded by the body.
• Refrigerators and / or freezers of the type mentioned are for example in JP2006046768 or in US2003033822 to find.
• the present invention is based on the object of developing a refrigerator and / or freezer of the type mentioned at the outset such that it efficiently humidifies the cooled interior or the goods located therein.
• the device has at least one mist generator.
• a mist generator By using a mist generator, not only efficient humidification but also an attractive overall appearance can be achieved.
• the device has at least one light source which is arranged such that the fog generated by the fog generator (humidifier) is at least partially illuminated by the light source in at least one operating state of the device becomes.
• the illumination of the generated fog gives a particularly positive visual impression. Apart from this, the user can carry out a particularly simple check to the effect that the cooled goods are moistened.
• mist is not limited to the cooled interior.
• the invention also includes the case that the mist is present on the outside of the device body or flows along there.
• the mist generator can be arranged in the cooled interior and / or outside the cooled area.
• the mist generator is arranged in such a way that the mist generated hits a cold surface, the temperature of which is selected such that the mist or components thereof condense out on the surface. The drops can make the humidification next to the mist visible.
• the mist is preferably water vapor.
• the moistening by the mist generator can also be used to moisten plants such as herbs.
• the mist generator can be permanently installed or can also be designed to be removable.
• the smoke generator on or in the rear wall, side wall, a partition plate (vertical or horizontal), ceiling, door, compressor niche, electronic plug-in unit or device base or in several of the aforementioned positions.
• the area humidified by the generated mist can be, for example, the entire cooled area of the device or one or more sub-areas thereof. It is also conceivable to provide the fog generation only in a separate individual area, such as in a drawer or a separate area within a drawer.
• the mist generator can be arranged such that the mist generated by it falls in a direction from top to bottom.
• the fog falls like a fog veil in one or more areas of the device.
• an electronic plug-in unit is provided which is designed with outlet openings for the mist and from which the mist exits accordingly.
• outlet openings are present at other points of the device, namely on a horizontal partition plate.
• This can have one or more outlet openings for the fog on its underside in the area facing the front side, so that a fog curtain is in the area below the horizontal partition plate, e.g. B. in or in front of drawers or the like.
• the invention also includes the case that at least one fan is provided, by means of which the mist is moved. So it is possible that a certain direction of the movement of the fog is given.
• the mist can thus also be “blown” from top to bottom, for example, or in any other direction.
• the water vapor or mist can be formed via the outlet opening and / or the fan, such as its conveying direction and / or speed, so that, for example, vortices or other shapes are created that are more visible or so that certain areas are flown separately.
• the fog generator has at least one outlet opening from which the fog generated by the fog generator exits in a directed manner, whereby it is preferably provided that the outlet opening is oriented so that the fog is at least partially in the area illuminated by the light source.
• the fog is illuminated and preferably backlit by the light source.
• the humidification caused by the mist can take place partly or completely outside the cooled interior.
• the mist generator serves as a room humidifier in this case.
• at least one outlet opening is provided, which is provided on the housing in such a way that the mist is moved along the outer wall of the housing, for example along the outside of the door, whereby a particularly appealing overall visual impression is achieved. This effect is particularly emphasized by suitable lighting.
• the device has a fixed water connection and / or a tank which is connected to the mist generator and via which the mist generator is supplied with liquid.
• At least one means for generating condensate is provided, with which the mist generator is connected for the purpose of supplying liquid.
• drinking water or specially designed water e.g. B. colored water or water with a certain odor direction in question.
• This specially trained water can be enriched with fragrances, vitamins, homeopathic remedies, etc. in this way. It is thus possible for the user to insert such a cartridge or the like into an insertion opening provided accordingly, so that the mist generator enriches the mist produced with these substances accordingly.
• the invention also includes the case in which the mist generator or the area above the mist generator is filled manually.
• the mist generator is automatically supplied with liquid.
• a fill level control is provided which automatically causes a tank or the fog generator to be refilled when the fill level falls below a certain level.
• the mist generator is preferably connected to its own tank.
• This can for example be designed as a bottle, for. B. as a mineral water bottle.
• the tank is preferably designed so that it can be filled by the user and / or inserted into the device by the user himself.
• the invention also includes the case that the mist generator does not have a tank specifically assigned to it, but uses a tank that is already present in the device, such as a tank that is present for the preparation of ice cubes.
• At least one means for generating condensate is provided which is connected to the fog generator in such a way that the condensate formed is fed to the fog generator and used to generate the fog.
• the fog generator with condensed To supply water.
• This condensed water can be generated, for example, by cooling the evaporator or the mist generator itself.
• the condensed water can be collected and used to generate mist.
• condensation water that occurs during normal operation of the device as well as condensation water that arises during the defrosting process of the evaporator or the refrigerator or freezer compartment.
• the mist generator is supplied via at least one filter.
• This can be a dirt filter and / or an ion exchanger. In the latter case, for example, the water can be decalcified.
• distilled water is used to generate the mist.
• Sterile water can also be used.
• Cleaning additives can also be added to the water.
• the mist generator and its water supply and the mist line ie the line from which the generated mist emerges, which can be designed as a hose, for example, are equipped with antibacterial properties in order to ensure a hygienically perfect mist generation.
• suitable antibacterial agents are silver, UV radiation and TiO 2 .
• mist generator its water supply and the mist line and in particular its hose are easy to clean. This can be achieved, for example, in that these components can be removed, are dishwasher-safe and, if possible, have no undercuts, so that dead spaces for bacteria to colonize are avoided as far as possible.
• means for protection against Legionella are provided, such as heating coils, means for generating UV radiation, etc. These can be present, for example, in the water supply line, in the tank or in the outlet of the mist generator or at several or all of these positions be.
• the shape of the outlet opening for the mist generated can be round, oval, angular, etc., for example.
• One or more outlet openings can be provided. This at least one outlet opening can, for example, extend over the entire width of the drawer, over the entire width of the cooled interior, over the width of a horizontal partition plate, etc.
• mist emerges in a directed manner from at least one outlet opening and in particular in such a way that the area of the light source is emphasized.
• the method of humidification is basically arbitrary. It is preferred to generate the mist using ultrasound (piezo element), possibly in combination with a fan. It is also possible to generate an air flow by means of a fan over a water surface and thereby produce the secondary.
• ultrasound piezo element
• atomization techniques are also known from the invention, such as pressure nozzles as they are known from the field of perfume atomizers, rotary atomizers and evaporation by heating and / or by negative pressure.
• the fog generator can be operated, for example, by arranging an on / off switch directly on the fog generator.
• the fog generator can be switched on or off via the control panel of the cooling or cooling unit. Freezer done or by a remote control, z. B. via a smart device such as a smartphone. It is conceivable that the user can give the instruction to switch the fog generator on or off via the Internet or a wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth.
• At least one control or regulation unit is provided which causes the switching on or off or a change in the mode of operation (such as the intensity or operating time) of the fog generator.
• Control logic for the fog generator can be located on or on the fog generator itself, so that there is no contact with the device electronics that control or regulate the entire device.
• Control logic for the smoke generator on the device electronics, so that no separate component is required.
• At least one control or regulation unit is provided which operates the mist generator as a function of at least one parameter.
• mist generator This applies in particular to the intensity and / or the running time of the mist generator.
• Other parameters of the mist generator such as the quantity generated, the liquid from which the mist is generated and any additives, can also be made dependent on one or more parameters.
• mist generator runs continuously as soon as the refrigerator and / or freezer is switched on.
• mist generator is switched on or off for predetermined time intervals. For example, it is conceivable that the mist generator is always switched on for one minute and switched off for three minutes. These values are of course only examples.
• the door opening or the opening of another closure element can be considered as a further parameter. It is conceivable that the mist generator is only switched on when the door etc. of the device is opened.
• Another parameter is the operation of the compressor, such as its running time and speed.
• fog is only generated when the compressor is in operation, so that the user can immediately recognize that cooling operation is present when a corresponding fog generation is present.
• mist generator it is also conceivable to operate the mist generator depending on the amount of condensation water that occurs. If there is sufficient condensation, it is conceivable to operate it at all or with a higher intensity than in cases in which there is only a small amount of condensation.
• one or more sensors are present inside or outside the cooled interior that measure parameters, depending on which the fog generator is operated.
• Such parameters can be, for example, the temperature, the humidity, the touch, the light and the amount and type of load (vegetables, meat, etc.).
• the mist generator is operated within the framework of a control loop and has the task of always maintaining a certain humidity in the cooled interior or in the ambient atmosphere of the refrigerator or freezer. It is also conceivable that the mist generator is started up, for example, when it is determined that the device is being touched, from which it is concluded that the door will shortly be opened.
• the said light source which illuminates the fog generated, is only in operation when the fog generator is in operation.
• one or more sensors are present which are arranged inside or outside the device and that the mist generator is operated on the basis of the measured values.
• the fog generator can be put into operation at a certain point in time or period (e.g. 1 s) before the user touches the device.
• a food sensor is also conceivable. This can, for example, record the color, the smell of the goods and / or gases emanating from them and adapt the humidification, i.e. the operation of the smoke generator, to the food.
• a magnetic sensor such as a reed switch on the door or cover, etc. is also conceivable. So it is possible to trigger the humidification shortly before opening the door etc. or to put the mist generator into operation.
• the light source can be the lighting means of the cooled interior that are already present, i. H. the normal device lighting.
• a light source assigned specifically to the fog generator is provided, for example an effect light source that can emit light in different colors, in different intensities, at different times, etc.
• a laser for example, can be considered as the effect light source.
• the light source can form a common assembly with the fog generator.
• separate assemblies are also conceivable and encompassed by the invention.
• the fog generator can be located in the area of the light source.
• an existing light source can be used and the fog generator can only be plugged on.
• a retrofit solution is easily conceivable, since in this case no separate lighting is required.
• the operation of the light source is accompanied by sound effects or that the sound effects also exist without the operation of the light source as a function of one or more of the above-mentioned parameters.
• the fog or water vapor can act as a "display" so that, for example, a laser or other projector, which is arranged, for example, in the door, cover or body of the device, can be applied to the fog curtain, which falls from top to bottom, for example Information such as words, letters, numbers, images, etc. can project. For example, the temperature in the cooled interior, information relating to the stored goods, etc. come into consideration as information.
• the light source and / or the projector could be part of the device. However, they can also be designed as external devices, i.e. not as components of the device, so that the present invention also includes a system with at least one cooling device according to the invention and an external light source or with an external projector. This can e.g. be mounted on a kitchen wall etc.
• it is a cooling device which has a cooling compartment and a cold storage compartment. There is one in the cold storage compartment Drawer. Above the drawer there is a horizontal partition plate that separates the refrigerated compartment at the top from the cold storage compartment at the bottom. In the cooled interior there is a water tank and a mist generator, which is connected to the water tank and which atomises the water using ultrasound, so that a mist is created.
• This mist is conducted on the rear of the horizontal partition plate through the horizontal partition plate into its front area.
• this area there are one or more outlet openings distributed over the width of the horizontal partition plate, from which the mist emerges and then "falls" downwards.
• a fog curtain or wall of fog is created in front of and possibly in the drawer located below the horizontal partition plate.
• This fog is illuminated by lighting means that are already present in the device and are used to illuminate the cooled interior or by a specially assigned lighting unit (such as LEDs), which are located, for example, on the horizontal partition plate and preferably in its front area can.
• further openings are arranged in the horizontal partition plate, which are preferably aligned so that the mist is moistened for the purpose of moistening the interior of the drawer.
• the operation of the mist generator can depend on one or more parameters.
• the actual value of the air humidity z. B. is measured in said drawer, compared with a setpoint value and in the event that the humidity is too low, a signal is given to the fog generator via a control or regulation unit to start the fog generation.
• the fog generator can thus be part of a control loop for keeping the air humidity constant.
• the fog generator is dependent on other parameters, such as the door opening.
• the fog generator is switched on whenever the appliance door is opened in order to convey the positive overall impression mentioned above.
• the liquid from which the mist is generated is in principle preferably water and particularly preferably drinking water.
• the user fills this into the mentioned tank of the mist generator.
• a fixed water connection ensures that there is always a sufficient fill level in the tank.
• the mist generator has an opening into which the user can insert a corresponding cartridge or the like that contains the substances mentioned.
• a humidifier i. H. to provide a fog generator
• the fog generation being designed to be particularly attractive.
• the nebulization can extend the storage life of foods that require high humidity. This is achieved through the use of active humidification through the humidifier, i.e. H. Smoke generator reached.
• the generation of fog can be clearly perceived visually and this effect can, if necessary, be further emphasized by light effects, etc.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
• Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)

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• 2014
  • 2014-11-18 DE DE102014017044.6A patent/DE102014017044A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2014-11-18 EP EP14193642.7A patent/EP2876392B1/de active Active
  • 2014-11-18 ES ES14193642T patent/ES2857673T3/es active Active

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