EP3891450A1

EP3891450A1 - A cooling device comprising an air blowing channel

Info

Publication number: EP3891450A1
Application number: EP19798583.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mehmet Ercan KAYMAK; Faik Emre Ozyuksel; Hakan YORGANCIOGLU; Merve YAZICI
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2018-12-05
Filing date: 2019-11-01
Publication date: 2021-10-13
Also published as: WO2020114688A1; TR201818623A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooling device (1) comprising at least one compartment (2) wherein items to be cooled or frozen are placed; at least one door (3) providing access into the compartment (2); an evaporator which draws thermal energy from the environment so as to provide cooling; a fan which enables the cool air generated by the evaporator to be moved and blown into the compartment (2); a cover (4) which separates the compartment from the region where the evaporator and the fan are disposed; at least one air outlet (5) which is arranged on the cover (4) and which enables the air blown by the fan to be transferred into the compartment (2); a frame (6) which is mounted to the wall of the air outlet (5) and which has at least one opening (7); and a blowing channel (8) which is mounted to the frame (6) so as to align with the opening (7) thereon and which has at least one blowing hole (9) which enables the air leaving through the air outlet (5) to be transferred into the compartment (2).

Description

A COOLING DEVICE COMPRISING AN AIR BLOWING CHANNEL

The present invention relates to a cooling device wherein the air distribution in the compartment is improved.
In cooling devices comprising a fresh food and/or freezing compartment, the compartments are excessively loaded by the user, and sufficient cool air cannot be delivered into the compartment from the area where the evaporator and the fan are disposed behind the compartment. In order to improve the air delivery into the compartment from the area where the evaporator and the fan are disposed, grilles and air blowing holes in various forms are arranged on the rear wall of the compartment. The grilles on the evaporator cover create visible gaps on the surface covered, and this sight does not match with the cooling device. Moreover, the form of the grilles causes the user difficulties in cleaning the interior of the cooling device which is required due to spilled foodstuffs and air intake/discharge.
Furthermore, the odors of the foodstuffs mix with each due to the foodstuffs stored without being concealed in the cooling devices. The odors of spoiled foodstuffs disperse into the compartment and permeate the items therein. Said unpleasant odors permeate other foodstuffs after a while, causing the taste and odor thereof to get spoiled. The air circulating in the compartment becomes a problem disturbing the user when the door of the cooling device is opened.
In the state of the art United States Patent No. US5584191, a cooling device comprising a cool air distribution apparatus is disclosed. The cool air distribution apparatus comprises air ducts which send the cool air flowing from the evaporator situated behind the compartment into the compartment through grilles.
Another state of the art embodiment is disclosed in United States Patent No. US5826437. In this document, the cool air is blown into the compartment from all four sides. To this end, the cooling device comprises a U-shaped air duct which is arranged on the side and rear walls of the compartment and a second duct which is arranged on the door, with the ends opening into the compartment.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of a cooling device wherein the air distribution in the compartment is improved.
The cooling device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises a frame which is attached to the wall of the air outlet on the evaporator cover, and a blowing channel which is attached to the frame and which has at least one blowing hole enabling the air leaving through the air outlet to be transferred into the compartment.
By means of the opening which is arranged on the frame and which overlaps with the air outlet, the frame does not block the delivery into the compartment of the air leaving through the air outlet.
The blowing channel is mounted to the rails on the frame by means of the slide thereon. By means of the connection mechanism comprising the slide and the rail, the blowing channel is mounted onto the frame so as to slide right or left. By means of the connection mechanism, the blowing channel is enabled to be attached to/detached from the compartment in an easy and simple manner.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, two parallel openings are arranged on the frame.
The blowing channel has a cylindrical structure in the form of a tube.
In an embodiment of the present invention, materials releasing odors into the compartment or retaining unpleasant odors in the compartment are placed into the blowing channel.
By means of the present invention, the air delivered into the compartment through the air outlet is more efficiently distributed. The detachable structure of the frame and the blowing channel prevents the deformation of the compartment walls, and enables the frame and the blowing channel to be easily taken out of the cooling device to be cleaned, and then replaced in an easy and simple manner. Moreover, by means of the materials which are placed into the blowing channel, releasing odors into the compartment or retaining unpleasant odors in the compartment, a pleasant odor is provided in the compartment and unpleasant odors in the compartment are eliminated.
A cooling device realized in order to attain the aim the object of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:
Figure 1 - is the front view of a cooling device.
Figure 2 - is the front perspective view of the frame and the blowing channel.
Figure 3 - is the rear perspective view of the frame and the blowing channel.
Figure 4 - is the exploded perspective view of the frame and the blowing channel.
Figure 5 - is the view of detail A in Figure 4.
The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Cooling device
Compartment
Door
Cover
Air outlet
Frame
Opening
Blowing channel
Blowing hole
Connection mechanism
Slide
Rail
Connection member
Plug

The cooling device (1) comprises at least one compartment (2) wherein items to be cooled or frozen are placed; at least one door (3) providing access into the compartment (2); an evaporator which draws thermal energy from the environment so as to provide cooling; a fan which enables the cool air generated by the evaporator to be moved and blown into the compartment (2); a cover (4) which separates the compartment from the region where the evaporator and the fan are disposed; at least one air outlet (5) which is arranged on the cover (4) and which enables the air blown by the fan to be transferred into the compartment (2); a frame (6) which is mounted to the wall of the air outlet (5) and which has at least one opening (7); and a blowing channel (8) which is mounted to the frame (6) so as to align with the opening (7) thereon and which has at least one blowing hole (9) which enables the air leaving through the air outlet (5) to be transferred into the compartment (2) (Figure 1 and Figure 2).
The frame (6) is mounted onto the air outlet (5) so as not to block the air outlet (5). The opening (7) on the frame (6) overlaps with the air outlet (5). The frame (6) has a structure matching with that of the air outlet (5) and has a form which will not disturb the user in the compartment (2) (Figure 3).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises a connection mechanism (10) which enables the frame (6) and the blowing channel (8) to be attached to each other. In this embodiment of the present invention, the connection mechanism (10) comprises at least one rail (12) on the frame (6) and at least one slide (11) on the wall of the blowing channel (8). The blowing channel (8) is attached to the frame (6) by being slid in the horizontal axis. The slide (11) on the blowing channel (8) slides right or left inside the rail (12) on the frame (6). By means of the connection mechanism (10), the blowing channel (8) is enabled to be attached to/detached from the frame (6) in an easy and simple manner. Thus, foodstuffs spilled onto or the dirt accumulated on the blowing channel (8) in the compartment (2) are/is enabled to be easily cleaned outside, and the blowing channel (8) can be replaced onto the frame (6) by the user without using any tool.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the frame (6) is in the form of a grille and comprises at least two parallel openings (7). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the frame (6) and the opening (7) are quadrilateral.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the blowing channel (8) is in the form of a cylindrical tube.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the frame (6) comprises a connection member (13) provided on the rear side thereof. By means of said connection member (13), the frame (6) is mounted onto the air outlet (5). The connection member (13) is a protrusion extending in the horizontal axis. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the connection member (13) is positioned behind the wall separating the two openings (7) on the frame (6). By means of the connection member (13), the frame (6) can be attached/detached by the user without using any tool and without causing any deformation on the cover (4). Thus, the frame (6) can be easily taken out of the cooling device (1) to be cleaned and can be attached back onto the air outlet (5) when needed in an easy and simple manner (Figure 4).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises materials which are disposed into the blowing channel (8), releasing pleasant odors into the compartment or retaining unpleasant odors in the compartment (2). Said materials can be lavender, lemon, salt or the like. Thus, the odors released by the materials disposed into the blowing channel (8) are transferred into the compartment (2) through the blowing hole (9) together with the air passing through the air outlet (5).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises at least two detachable plugs (14) at the both ends of the blowing channel (8). By means of the plugs (14), materials releasing pleasant odors into the compartment (2) or retaining unpleasant odors in the compartment can be easily disposed into the blowing channel (8).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the blowing holes (9) are arranged in the horizontal axis along the blowing channel (8) (Figure 5).
By means of the present invention, the air delivered into the compartment (2) through the air outlet (5) is more efficiently distributed. The detachable structure of the frame (6) and the blowing channel (8) prevents the deformation of the compartment (2) walls and enables the frame (6) and the blowing channel (8) to be easily taken out of the cooling device (1) to be cleaned, and then replaced in an easy and simple manner. Moreover, by means of the materials which are placed into the blowing channel (8), releasing odors into the compartment (2) or retaining unpleasant odors in the compartment (2), a pleasant odor is provided in the compartment (2) and unpleasant odors in the compartment (2) are eliminated.

Claims

A cooling device (1) comprising at least one compartment (2) wherein items to be cooled or frozen are placed; at least one door (3) providing access into the compartment (2); an evaporator which draws thermal energy from the environment so as to provide cooling; a fan which enables the cool air generated by the evaporator to be moved and blown into the compartment (2); a cover (4) which separates the compartment from the region where the evaporator and the fan are disposed; at least one air outlet (5) which is arranged on the cover (4) and which enables the air blown by the fan to be transferred into the compartment (2), characterized by a frame (6) which is mounted to the wall of the air outlet (5) and which has at least one opening (7); and a blowing channel (8) which is mounted to the frame (6) so as to align with the opening (7) thereon and which has at least one blowing hole (9) which enables the air leaving through the air outlet (5) to be transferred into the compartment (2).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized in that the opening (7) on the frame (6) overlaps with the air outlet (5).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by a connection mechanism (10) which enables the frame (6) and the blowing channel (8) to be attached to each other.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 3, characterized by the connection mechanism (10) comprising at least one rail (12) on the frame (6) and at least one slide (11) on the wall of the blowing channel (8).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the frame (6) comprising two parallel grille-shaped openings (7).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the blowing channel (8) in the form of a cylindrical tube.
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the frame (6) comprising a connection member (13) which provided on the rear side thereof and which enables the same to be mounted onto the air outlet (5).
A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by materials which are disposed into the blowing channel (8), releasing pleasant odors into the compartment or retaining unpleasant odors in the compartment (2).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by at least two detachable plugs (14) at the both ends of the blowing channel (8).
A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the blowing holes (9) which are arranged in the horizontal axis along the blowing channel (8).