GB2133518A - Refrigerator evaporator system - Google Patents

Abstract

An evaporator system for a household refrigerator comprises several evaporator planes, arranged at a spacing one above the other and for association with individual compartments of a refrigerator, of pipe coils (15), which are arranged in rows and the turns of which are connected into shelves (11 to 14) by heat-conducting elements (16) such as wire rods, metal guide plates or the like. At least one loop of the evaporator coil (20) associated with the lowermost shelf (14) is prolonged at one side beyond the boundary of the shelf and led back under its underside towards its centre, from where it is bent away to point downwardly by its hair-clip-like end (21). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Refrigeration equipment The present invention relates to refrigeration equipment and has particular reference to an evaporator system in refrigerating furniture, especially a household refrigerator.

Evaporator systems must, in the interests of economical and energy-saving operation ofthe refrigerator, be so designed that the temperature most favourable for the storage of the refrigerated stock is maintained asfar as possible in all parts of the storage area ofthe refrigerator. This applies particularlyto refrigerators ofthe higher quality class, which are subject two strict test regulations in respect of uniform maintenance of storage temperature.

In known evaporator systems, it is therefore usual to provide additional pipe coils which are arranged in those zones of the storage space of the refrigerator, in which the temperature, due to heat incidence or convection, is higherthan in the remaining regions of the storage space. The heat arising in those zones is rapidly removed by means of these additional pipe coils.

However, such additional pipe coils necessitiate additional welding and soldering, which cause increased costs in the production of refrigerators equipped with evaporator systems of that kind. The additional welding and soldering zones must be produced with great care, otherwise they can lead to leakageandtherebyto increased repairworkunder guarantee.

Itwould therefore be desirable to avoid such additional soldering locations through appropriate construction ofthe pipe coils and thus, with simultaneous reduction in manufacturing costs, to increase operational reliability of the refrigerator.

According to the present invention there is provided refrigeration equipment comprising an evaporator system which comprises a plurality of rows of refrigerant pipe loops, the rows being disposed in planes spaced apart one above the other, and respective heat-conducting means connecting together the loops in each row to form a respective shelf, at least one ofthe loops in the lowermost row being prolonged to extend downwardly from one edge region of the respective shelf, then along below theshelftowardsa halfway pointfromthe boundary andfinallyfurther downwardly.

In a preferred embodiment, the evaporator system has several evaporator planes, arranged at a spacing one above the otherfor association with individual compartments of a refrigerator, of pipe coils, which are arranged in rows one against the other and the turns or loops of which are connected into shelves by heat-conducting elements, such as wire rods, metal guide plates or the like. One or more turns ofthe coil associated with the lowermost shelf are prolonged at one side beyond the boundary of the shelf and led back under its underside towards its centre and bent away to point downwardly bytheir hairclip-like end.It is thus, possible to provide additional heat exchanger elements at a place where a particularly high inci dence of heat from the outside occurs due to the proximity of a compressor casing arranged at the bottom of the refrigerator cabinet. Furthermore, additional welding or soldering locations are avoided by virtue ofthe particular construction ofthe evaporatop coil associated with the lower shelf and the operational reliability ofthe refrigerator is thereby increased.

The cabinet of the refrigeration may have an inwardiy protruding step in its lower region, in which case the turns of the evaporator coil, which are prolonged at one side beyond the boundary ofthe lower shelf, can be matched in their shape to the shape ofthe step.

By virtue of the special construction ofthe evapor ator coils, it is possible to match the number and length ofthe turns to the cooling performance required in the lower region ofthe refrigerator and thereby achieve the optimum evaporator construction forthe particular refrigerator.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. is a schematic perspective view of an evaporator system embodying the invention, with several evaporator planes, arranged at a spacing one above the other and associated with individual compartments of a refrigerator; Fig. 2 is a front view of one form of lower shelf ofthe system; Fig. 3 is a side view ofthe lower shelf, showing chain-dotted lines a neighbouring portion of a refrigerator cabinet; Fig. 4 is a side view of another form of the lower shelf of the system; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a tube of tube coils ofthe evaporator system, with attached wire rods forming a shelffrom the coils.

Referring nowto the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 an evaporator system 10 for a refrigerator, the system comprising several evaporator planes arranged at a spacing one above the other and associated with individual compartments of therefrigerator. The evaporator planes are in the form of shelves 11,12,13 and 14, which are formed from tube coils 15, the loops of which are connected by heat-conducting elements in the form of wire rods 16 into rigid, planar structures. Shelves, preferably formed from a single continuous tube length, are continuously connected together by connecting tubes 17 and 18.Acollectorl9, connected into the connect- ing tube, is disposed underneath the upper shelf in the upper region ofthe evaporator system 10.

The shelf 14 associated with the lower compartment ofthe refrigerator has an evaporator coil 20, the loops of which are prolonged at one side beyond the rearward boundary ofthe shelf 14 and led back underneath its underside towards its centre, from where they are bent to point downwardly by their hairclip-like ends 21. The ends 21, which can have different curvatures as illustrated in Fig. 2, are bent in such a mannerasillustrated in Fig.3thattheyare matched to the profile of a step 22 in the cabinet 23 of the refrigerator.Another form of matching is evident from the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4, showing a lowershelfl4' inwhichthe loops, which are pro longed beyond the rearward boundarythereof, of the evaporator coil are offset with a different limb length.

Such a construction ofthe lowershelfpreferablyfinds application where the lower compartment of the refrigerator is correspondingly high or other dimensions of the step are present.

The illustrated and described evaporator system can be modified as desired within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, for example, it is feasible to bend the lower ends 21 again so that they run along the bottom of the cabinet. Through appropriate prolongation orshortening oftheindividual loops, itis possible to match the evaporator system to the special requirements of a refrigerator. Of course, corresponding elements can also be provided at each individual shelf in order to take into account the special conditions of appropriately constructed refrigerating appliances and to achieve a uniform temperature distribution in the storage space ofthe appliance.

Departing from the illustrated and described examples of embodiment, it can of course be provided that the ends 21, prolonged at one side beyond the boundary ofthe shelf and bent away, are equipped entirely or partially with wires, which are welded or soldered thereto and which are fastened according to the requirements either two one side orto both sides of the tube.

Evaporator systems constructed in the described and illustrated manner represent relatively rigid structures which can be preassembled as desired and stacked and transported until installed in a refrigerator.

Claims (7)

1. Refrigeration equipment comprising an evaporatorsystem which comprises a plurality of rows of refrigerant pipe loops, the rows being disposed in planes spaced apart one above the other, and respective heat-conducting means connecting together the loops in each row to form a respective shelf, at least one ofthe loops in the lowermost row being prolonged to extend downwardly from one edge region of the respective shelf, then along below the shelf towards a halfway pointfrom the boundary and finallyfurther downwardly.

2. Refrigeration equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaporator system is housed in a cabinet having an inwardly protruding step below the lowermost one of the shelves, the portion ofthe or each prolonged loop extending underthat shelf substantially conforming in shape to the profile ofthe step.

3. Refrigeration equipment as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the number of prolonged loops and the length ofthe prolonged portions thereof is so selected as to provide a predetermined cooling effect in the region belowthe lowermost shelf.

4. Refrigeration equipment as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, wherein the pipe loops of all ofthe rows reformed by a single continuous pipe length.

5. Refrigeration equipment as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, each heat-conducting means comprising a metal plate or a plurality of metal rods.

6. Refrigeration equipment substantially as he reinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 and 5 ofthe accompanying drawings.

7. Refrigeration equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1,2,4 and 5 ofthe accompanying drawings.