EP3771871A1 - Refrigeration device with line feedthrough - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator, in particular a household refrigerator, has an inner container (1) and a line (7) which extends through an opening (8) in the inner container (1). A section (15) of the line (7) rests against a surface of the inner container (1). The opening (8) is sealed by a deformable layer (19), which extends in areas (11) of the surface on both sides of the adjacent section (15) and along an arc (11) extending around the opening (8) and connecting the areas (11). 20, 27) is glued to the inner container (1).

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigeration device, in particular a household refrigeration device, specifically the sealing of a line feed-through through a wall of an inner container.

Line bushings can be provided in order to supply an electrical consumer in the inner container with electrical energy, to derive a measurement signal from a sensor, or to supply or remove a fluid, typically refrigerant for an evaporator in the inner container or water for a built-in dispenser. The cable bushing must be reliably sealed to prevent insulating foam, which is attached to the outside of the inner container during assembly of the device, from penetrating the opening into the interior. A known and common technique is to glue a deformable layer around the opening on the inner container and on the circumference of the conduit. The seamless application of such a layer is difficult and time-consuming in particular when the line is to run closely adjacent to the wall of the inner container and has a bend near the opening for this purpose.

DE 10 2009 016 348 A1 shows a refrigeration device with a line bushing for a temperature sensor, in which the line runs through a sleeve inserted into the opening of the inner container wall and is bent over on both sides of the sleeve to extend along an inside or outside of the wall. In order to limit the risk of leakage due to a deformation of the sleeve resulting therefrom, the opening is formed in a wall area which runs obliquely to a surrounding main part of an inner container wall. Such a structure is not suitable for a pipeline that has to be brought into the appropriate shape before it is mounted on the inner container, because the necessary bends make it difficult to move the pipeline into the target position.

The aim of the invention is to provide a structure for a refrigeration device with a line bushing that can be assembled and sealed quickly and easily.

The object is achieved in that in a refrigeration device, in particular a household refrigeration device, with an inner container and a line which extends through an opening in the inner container and a section of which rests on a surface of the inner container, the opening is sealed by a deformable layer, which is glued to the inner container in areas of the surface on both sides of the adjacent section and along an arc that extends around the opening and connects the areas.

The length over which the adjacent section touches the surface should be a multiple of the wall thickness of the inner container.

The deformable layer should also cover the adjacent section between the said areas of the surface.

The surface is typically an outer side of the inner container, and the deformable layer extends in the finished refrigeration device between the inner container and an insulating foam layer surrounding the inner container.

The adjacent section can run parallel to an adjacent outer surface of the body of the refrigeration device. In this way it can be avoided that the line, even if it is made of a material that conducts heat well, acts as a cold bridge between a storage space in the interior of the inner container and the environment.

It is generally desirable that the entire circumference of the conduit be in contact with either the inner container or the deformable layer in order to prevent foam from penetrating along the conduit. In order to facilitate closing of cavities extending along the conduit, the deformable layer may be stretchable; so it can still be pressed into such a cavity if it is already glued to the line or the surface of the inner container on both sides of the cavity. So that tension in the layer does not cause such cavities to open again before the foam can be applied and set, the layer should in particular be plastically extensible.

A lack of contact at a boundary between a part of the circumference touched by the inner container and a part of the circumference touched by the deformable layer can be compensated for by the areas of the inner container to which the layer is glued extending far enough along the line. It is then not completely excluded that foam penetrates into a cavity along the non-touched part of the circumference, but if the time required to pass through the cavity is longer than the setting time of the foam, it will solidify before it penetrates the interior of the inner container can reach.

In order to minimize the cross-sectional area of such a passage extending along the part of the circumference that is not in contact, it is expedient if the inner container has a groove between the two regions into which the adjacent section of the line engages. It is particularly favorable if the groove offers space for about half the cross section of the line.

In order to keep the number and strength of the bends required in the line low, the groove should extend at least as far as the opening. Thus, a line inserted into the groove can run in a straight line at least up to the opening.

In order to ensure tightness against moisture penetrating from the storage room in the direction of the foam, an elastic seal can be inserted into the groove.

In particular, the seal can be part of a ring which is attached to the surface of the inner container around the opening.

In order to prevent cavities that remain open when the deformable layer is applied to the circumference of the ring from contributing to a leak, the deformable layer should completely cover the ring.

In order to enable the deformable layer to be easily glued, the two areas of the surface of the inner container on both sides of the adjacent section of the line are preferably flat; each of these areas preferably extends in a plane which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the adjacent section. It is also conceivable, in particular if the implementation on an edge between walls of the Inner container is arranged that the two areas are cylindrically curved, an axis of the curvature running parallel to the longitudinal axis of the section of the line extending between the areas.

In order to minimize the need to bend the line to adapt it to the bushing, the opening can run in a plane, the surface normal of which spans an angle of less than 60 °, preferably less than 45 °, with a longitudinal axis of the adjacent section. In particular, the above-mentioned arch connecting the areas on both sides of the adjacent section can run through this region.

A bending of the tube in the vicinity of the opening is preferably completely avoided; i.e., the abutting portion and a portion of the conduit extending through the opening preferably have a common longitudinal axis.

However, the surface normal of the opening and the longitudinal axis of the section extending through it should also not be parallel; preferably the angle spanned between the two should be at least 15 °, better 30 ° or more.

The minimization of bending is particularly desirable when a non-circular cross-section of the line makes it difficult to control the exact course of a bent section and in particular can lead to a bend in the line not running in the plane provided for it.

The line can comprise an electrical line; it preferably comprises at least one tube, since its rigidity in practice, in particular in the case of a refrigeration device, is usually higher than that of an electrical line

Fig. 1

eine schematische perspektivische Ansicht eines Innenbehälters mit einer Leitungsdurchführung gemäß der Erfindung;

Fig. 2

eine Detailansicht der Leitungsdurchführung;

Fig.3

einen Schnitt entlang der Ebene III-III in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4

eine Detailansicht einer abgewandelten Leitungsdurchführung;

Fig. 5

eine Detailansicht gemäß einer weiteren Abwandlung; und

Fig. 6

eine Teilansicht eines Innenbehälters mit einer weiteren Abwandlung der Leitungsdurchführung.

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

Fig. 1

a schematic perspective view of an inner container with a line bushing according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a detailed view of the line bushing;

Fig. 3

a section along the plane III-III in Fig. 2 ;

Fig. 4

a detailed view of a modified line bushing;

Fig. 5

a detailed view according to a further modification; and

Fig. 6

a partial view of an inner container with a further modification of the line bushing.

Fig.1 shows an inner container 1 of a household refrigerator in a schematic perspective view. The inner container 1 is manufactured in a known manner by deep-drawing a thermoplastic plastic plate, ie the plate is clamped along its edge in a deep-drawing tool and sucked into a hollow mold, around a front frame 2, side walls 3, ceiling 4, floor 5 and a Rear wall 6 to form. The inner container 1 is intended to be built into a body of the household refrigerator in the usual way by mounting the outer walls of the body parallel to the walls 3, 6 and foaming the gaps between the walls 3, 6 and the outer walls.

In order to supply an evaporator (not shown), which is accommodated in the inner container 1, with refrigerant, a line 7 must be passed through an opening 8 in the inner container 1. The line 7 can comprise two tubes running next to one another for supplying liquid refrigerant to the evaporator and for sucking off refrigerant vapor; In the case shown here, only the suction pipe of the line 7 is visible, and a capillary for the supply of liquid refrigerant runs invisibly inside the suction pipe. According to alternative configurations, the line can also be used to transmit signals or electrical energy between a consumer, a sensor or an actuator inside the inner container and a controller outside.

The implementation of the line 7, denoted by 9, is in the embodiment of Fig. 1 on the rear wall 6, but can, as will be explained in more detail later, also on other vertically, horizontally or obliquely oriented wall surfaces of the inner container 1 can be provided. The passage 9 comprises, seen from the outside, a recess in a wall surface 10 surrounding it, with two flat areas 11 on both sides of a groove 12. The wall surface 10 is the rear wall 6 here, but any other wall surface of the inner container 1 can also be considered. The recess is open to one edge of the wall surface 10, here at the top, in order to facilitate the placement of the line 7 in the groove 12. In an end wall 13 of the recess opposite the open side of the recess, the opening 8 is formed as an extension of the groove 12, for example by punching out.

The groove 12 runs in the illustration of Fig. 1 vertically, ie parallel to an edge, meet on the side and rear walls 3, 6. An oblique course of the groove 12 is also possible and can, under certain circumstances, facilitate the connection of the line 7 to the evaporator in the inner container 1.

Fig. 1 shows the end wall 13 aligned parallel to the ceiling 4 and at right angles to the rear wall 6. For manufacturing reasons, it can be preferred that the end wall 13 and the rear wall 6 as in FIG Fig. 2 shown at an obtuse angle,> 90 °, meet.

The opening 8 is cut into the end wall 13.

Fig. 2 shows the feedthrough 9 with the line 7 placed in the opening 8. The line 7 runs in a straight line at least in the vicinity of the feedthrough, ie a section 14 of the line 7 crossing the opening 8 and a section 15 received in the groove 12 have a common longitudinal axis 16 .

If the end wall 13 spans an obtuse angle α with the wall surface 10 and with the flat areas 11, then the opening 8 to receive the round conduit 7 is generally elliptical with a short axis 17 which is parallel and adjacent to an edge runs between the end wall 13 and the flat areas 11. A long axis of the ellipse is larger than the diameter of the line 7, which facilitates the introduction of the line 7 into the opening 8 along a surface normal 18 of the end wall 13. After insertion into the opening 8, the line 7 is around the Axis 17 is pivoted so that its section 15 comes to rest in the groove 12. The length of the long axis is selected so that the opening 8, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the groove 12 or along the longitudinal axis 16 of the line 7 placed in the groove 12, appears circular.

After the line 7 has been placed in the groove 12, the feed-through 9 is sealed by gluing on a deformable layer 19, for example a self-adhesive film or a patch made of butyl rubber. For this purpose, the layer 19 is first attached to an area 20 of the wall surface 10 adjacent to the end wall 13 and, starting from there, painted on both sides of the opening 8 on the end wall 13 and on the flat areas 11, so that the layer 19 on the inner container 1 in the Areas 11 on both sides of the section 15 and along an arc which extends between these two areas over areas 27 of the end wall 13 and the area 20 covered by the layer.

When painting the deformable layer 19, care must be taken that the adhesive between the layer 19 and the inner container 1 comes as close as possible to the line 7 in order to allow the cross-section of channels 21 extending along the line (see Fig Fig. 3 ), into which foam could penetrate later, to minimize. In order to facilitate this, the width of the groove 12 in the plane of the regions 11 should correspond to the largest cross-sectional dimension of the line 7; ie in the case of a circular line, the width should correspond to the diameter of the line and the groove 12 should therefore be able to accommodate half the cross section of the line 7.

In order to prevent or at least minimize the penetration of moisture from the storage room into the insulating foam layer of the finished refrigeration device surrounding the inner container 1, a gap between the line 7 and the inner container 1 can be blocked by an elastic seal 22. The seal 22 can be implemented as a band which extends transversely through the groove 12 from one flat area 11 to the other; in the design of Fig. 4 the seal 22 is a section of a ring 23 made of rubber-elastic material which, glued to the inner container 1, extends in one piece around the opening 8.

In order to be able to show the seal 22, FIG Fig. 4 the line 7 and the deformable layer 19 are omitted. A dash-dotted line denotes in Fig. 4 the intended course of the edge of the layer 19. The ring 23 is completely covered by the deformable layer 19. It may happen that along the inner or outer circumference of the ring 23 channels similar to those of Fig. 3 remain open, but since they nowhere communicate with the foam layer, penetration of moisture into the foam layer along these channels is not possible.

Beyond the part of the flat areas 11 covered by the layer 19 are in the embodiment Fig. 4 the groove 12 flanking claws 24 formed, which enable a positive fastening of the line 7 in the groove 12. In the design of the Fig. 4 these claws 24 are particularly advantageous in order to keep the line firmly pressed against the seal 22; But they can also be used in an embodiment without a seal, such as in Fig. 2 shown, the line 7 stop.

An arrangement of the claws 24 offset from one another along the line 7, as in FIG Fig. 4 shown, enables the line 7 to snap into place by temporarily bending the line. Since the claws 24 themselves do not have to yield in order to enable the line to snap into place, the requirements placed on the elasticity of the claws 24 and the reproducibility of their wall thickness are low, which is why the claws 24, like the parts 11, 12, 13 of the bushing 9 be formed in the same operation when deep drawing the inner container 1.

Fig. 5 shows a variant of the passage 9 in which the end wall has been omitted and the flat areas 11 on both sides of the groove 12 are flush with the surrounding wall surface 10. On one of the foam layer, ie the side facing the viewer in Fig. 5 On the opposite side of the opening 8 towards the open groove 12, a projection 25 is formed which delimits a groove which is open in the opposite direction towards the storage space. If the (in Fig. 5 line 7 (not shown) is inserted into both grooves, the opening 8 is glued over with a deformable layer 19, which hugs the flat areas 11 as well as the projection 25 tightly.

The leadthrough can also be arranged on horizontal or vertical edges of the inner container 1, as exemplified in FIG Fig. 6 shown. Here, when deep-drawing the inner container, a section of the edge 26 between the rear wall 6 and the side wall 3 is pressed inward by a movable component of the hollow mold to form the groove 12 open on the foam side, followed by a section of the edge from part of a hollow During the deep-drawing, the die is pressed outwards to form the projection 25 with the inwardly open groove, and the two movable components pass each other at a small distance, the inner container is cut open between the groove 12 and the projection 25 to close the opening 8 form. The flat areas 11 on both sides of the groove 12 are integral, flush components of the side or rear wall 3, 6. To fix the line 7 (not shown) securely in the feedthrough, the deformable layer 19 can be glued over here his.

REFERENCE MARK

1

Inner container

2

front frame

3

Sidewall

4th

blanket

5

ground

6th

Back wall

7th

management

8th

opening

9

execution

10

Wall surface

11

flat area

12

Groove

13

Front wall

14th

Section (of line 7)

15th

Section (of line 7)

16

Longitudinal axis (of line 7)

17th

short axis

18th

Surface normals

19th

deformable layer

20th

Area (of wall surface 10)

21st

channel

22nd

poetry

23

ring

24

claw

25th

head Start

26th

Edge

27

covered area (of the front wall 13)

Claims (15)

Refrigeration device, in particular household refrigeration device, with an inner container (1) and a line (7) which extends through an opening (8) in the inner container (1) and of which a section (15) rests on a surface of the inner container (1), characterized in that the opening (8) is sealed by a deformable layer (19) which, in areas (11) of the surface on both sides of the adjacent section (15) and along one of the areas (11) extending around the opening (8) ) connecting sheet (20, 27) is glued to the inner container (1). Refrigerating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjacent section (15) runs parallel to an adjacent outer surface of a body of the refrigerating device. Refrigerating device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the deformable layer (10) covers the section (15) which is in contact. Refrigerating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deformable layer (19) is expandable, in particular plastically expandable. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner container (1) has a groove (12) between the two areas (11), into which the adjacent section (15) of the line (7) engages. Refrigerating device according to claim 5, characterized in that the cross section of the groove (12) is dimensioned to accommodate half the cross section of the line (7). Refrigerating device according to Claim 6, characterized in that the groove (12) extends at least as far as the opening (8). Refrigeration device according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that an elastic seal (22) is inserted into the groove (12). Refrigerating appliance according to Claim 8, characterized in that the seal (22) is part of a ring (23) which is attached to the surface of the inner container (1) around the opening (8). Refrigerating device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the deformable layer (19) completely covers the ring (23). Refrigeration device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two areas (11) are flat. Refrigerating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each area (11) runs in a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis (16) of the adjacent section (15). Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening (8) runs in a plane (13), the surface normal (18) of which with a longitudinal axis (16) of the adjacent section (15) forms an angle of less than 60 °, preferably less than 45 °, spanned. Refrigeration device according to claim 13, characterized in that the adjacent section (15) and a section (14) of the line (7) running through the opening (8) have a common longitudinal axis (16). Refrigerating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the line (7) comprises at least one tube, preferably a capillary tube and a suction tube for a refrigerant.

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