RU2410610C2 - Household appliance with at least one cooling compartment and module for air processing - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: heating, ventilation.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to household appliance, comprising one or more internal compartments, made with the possibility of their refrigeration, and air-processing unit, made with the possibility of air processing in an environment in which the set of household electrical appliance is mounted. Air processing module is located above the mentioned one or more internal compartments of the electrical household appliance. Air processing module contains the conditioner and/or device for moisture removal. Household appliance contains the first means of removing heat, in particular at least one first evaporator configured for cooling the internal compartments, and a second means of removing heat, in particular at least one second evaporator, made with the possibility of heat extraction from the air in the environment, in which the household electrical appliance is mounted.

EFFECT: action of air processing module is relatively effective throughout the environment where the appliance is installed, not only in a limited volume around the appliance.

25 cl, 6 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to a household appliance in accordance with the introductory part of paragraph 1 of the claims.

To improve the performance of electric household appliances, reduce their overall size, and possibly also to save energy, electrical household appliances that can be defined as “multi-purpose”, in the sense that functions are implemented in one home appliance, are becoming more common. which are typically provided with two or more separate electrical household appliances: some examples of such electrical household appliances are television receivers containing a module video, cellular telephones, embedded in which functions of a digital photographing and video, as well as washers / dryers, which are combinations of washing machines and devices for drying clothes.

In the field of domestic cooling devices, several electrical household devices are known from patent publications that contain one or more internal compartments in one housing that can be used as refrigerated compartments or freezer compartments because they are cooled by the respective cooling circuits and an air treatment module. Electric household appliances of this type can also be included in the so-called "multi-purpose" electric household appliances, since they are a combination of a refrigerator (or a freezer, or a refrigeration-freezer) and an air treatment module, the latter, in particular, configured to air treatment in the environment in which the household appliance is installed.

US Pat. No. 2,249,772 describes a household appliance comprising a combination of a refrigerator and an air conditioner, which, however, has the disadvantage that the device includes an extremely complex and cumbersome thermodynamic air conditioning circuit that significantly reduces the available volume of the refrigerated compartment. In addition, air conditioning, for the most part, is located at the rear of the home appliance. Finally, the household appliance described in US Pat. No. 2,249,772 is only partially effective when used as an air conditioner due to the inappropriate direction of the outlet air stream, which is essentially directed upward.

US Pat. No. 4,821,530 describes a household appliance comprising a combination of a refrigeration and freezing device and an air conditioner, in which case the air conditioning module is installed in a door through which a user accesses the freezer compartment. In addition to the many structural problems associated mainly with the need to lay the tubes of the cooling circuit through the hinges of the freezer compartment door, the household appliance described in US Pat. No. 4,821,530 also has the disadvantage that the internal volume of the freezer compartment is significantly reduced.

Patent FR 2821665 describes a one-piece household appliance, which is a refrigerator-air conditioner that uses one compressor. Many of the properties of the aforementioned household electrical appliance are not sufficiently described in the patent FR 2821665 (for example, an exact description of the position of the air conditioning module relative to the refrigeration compartment and how air conditioning is discharged is not provided): therefore, from the described properties it can be concluded that the aforementioned household electrical appliance is a portable household a device with small dimensions, which, therefore, has the disadvantage that it does not provide functionality, usually requires mye of cooling chambers.

Patent application WO 04/38313 describes a household appliance consisting of a refrigeration-freezer device comprising, on a molded part that separates the refrigeration chamber from the freezer, an air ionization module used to ionize the air entering the two chambers when the corresponding access door open, and for air treatment next to the electrical appliance. The household appliance described in patent application WO 04/38313 is not aimed at ionizing air in the environment in which the household device is installed, and is not able to perform this function, since it does not disperse the treated air uniformly in the environment in which the device is installed. household appliance, and also because of the position of its ionization modules.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a household appliance comprising at least one compartment that can be used as a refrigerator or as a freezer, and which overcomes the disadvantages inherent in the above-described electrical household devices.

In particular, the present invention is directed to a domestic electrical appliance comprising one or more internal compartments cooled using a cooling circuit, and an air processing module for treating air in an environment in which a household electrical appliance is installed that is different from electrical household appliances, well-known in the art, such as the fact that the air treatment module does not limit the possibility of cooled internal compartments, and due to the fact that the module air treatment is quite effective, essentially, in the entire environment in which the household appliance is installed, and not only in a limited amount around the household appliance.

A household appliance configured to achieve the aforementioned goal has the properties set forth in the appended claims, which are an integral part of the present description.

The general idea underlying the present invention is to create a household electrical appliance, in particular, configured to be used in a home environment, containing one or more internal compartments configured to be cooled, and an air processing module, configured to the ability to process air in the environment in which the household appliance is installed in accordance with the invention, the air processing module is installed above said one or more internal compartments of the household electric ropribora. In fact, the Applicant has determined that said location of the air treatment module is optimal to ensure adequate dispersion of the treated air and to save space.

The air treatment module in accordance with the present invention may comprise a fan as well as an air conditioning and / or a device for reducing air humidity: the function of the fan is to facilitate the supply / exhaust of inlet and / or outlet air from the processing module, and possibly also increasing air circulation (and thus its speed) in the environment in which the household appliance is installed, while the function of the air conditioner and / or humidity reduction device is to reduce humidity and possibly , also lowering the air temperature in the environment in which the household appliance is installed.

A household appliance in accordance with the present invention, together with its additional advantages, will be presented in the following detailed description of the invention and in the attached drawings, which are presented as a non-limiting example, in which:

figure 1 schematically shows a household appliance in accordance with the present invention;

figure 2 schematically shows a first possible embodiment of a cooling circuit made with the possibility of its use in a household appliance in accordance with the present invention;

figure 3 schematically shows a second possible embodiment of a cooling circuit made with the possibility of its use in a household appliance in accordance with the present invention;

figure 4 schematically shows a third possible embodiment of a cooling circuit, made with the possibility of its use in a household appliance in accordance with the present invention;

figure 5 schematically shows a top view of a possible embodiment of a detail of a household appliance in accordance with the present invention;

6 schematically shows a sectional view of a possible embodiment of an air treatment module in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a household appliance 1, in particular, made with the possibility of its use in the home environment, in accordance with the present invention. It consists of a combination of a refrigeration and freezing device 10 and an air treatment module 20, which is installed in the upper part of the refrigerating and freezing device 10. In the refrigerating and freezing device 10 there are two heat-insulated internal compartments having different temperatures, which allow to obtain at least two different storage states of the foods contained in them. Both inner compartments, which are capable of storing fresh food products and frozen food products, respectively, are closed by two doors 11 and 12: in particular, door 11 is used to close the compartment with fresh food products, while door 12 is used to in order to close the compartment for frozen food. The internal compartments of the refrigeration and freezing device 10 may contain shelves of different sizes and, possibly, also drawers. The internal compartments are cooled using a separate cooling circuit (not shown in FIG. 1), which contains a cooling fluid that is converted in accordance with a thermodynamic cycle in which it draws heat from the said internal compartments during evaporation and releases its condensation heat from the outside by refrigeration -freezing device 10 during condensation. The household electrical appliance 1 of FIG. 1, which comprises a refrigeration and freezing device, is only one possible embodiment of a domestic electrical appliance in accordance with the invention: in fact, the refrigeration and freezing device 10 of the household electrical appliance 1 can be replaced by a refrigerator or freezer, or any electrical household device containing one or more internal compartments configured to cool them.

The air processing module 20 is configured to process air in the environment in which the household appliance 1 is installed, and is located above the internal compartments of the refrigeration-freezing device 10 included in the household appliance 1; in particular, the module 20 is fully or partially located in the container, which is installed in the uppermost part of the home appliance (as shown in FIG. 1). It comprises an inlet unit 21 that allows the supply of processable air to the processing unit 20, and an outlet unit 22 that allows the treated air to be discharged from the processing unit 20. The output unit 22 of the home appliance of FIG. 1 is configured to discharge a stream of treated air having an adjustable direction; this is preferable when, for example, it is necessary to exclude the direction of the treated air directly at people present in the environment in which the household appliance is installed. The inlet block 21 of the household device of FIG. 1 is configured to supply (untreated) air to the air treatment unit 20, taken in such a direction that the treated air discharged by the module 20 cannot immediately re-enter the module 20; other properties of the home appliance of FIG. 1, which are useful for this purpose, are in fact that the inlet unit 21 is located higher than the outlet unit 22 (this is, in particular, preferred if the module 20 contains air conditioning and / or a humidity reduction device), and that the inlet unit 21 (when viewed from the front of the home appliance) is located behind the outlet unit 22.

The air flow from the inlet block 21 to the outlet block 22, through the air processing module 20, is obtained using a fan, which can also be used to respectively move the air in the environment in which the household appliance 1 is installed, giving kinetic energy to the processed the air. The control means 23 is connected to the outlet 22, which is adapted to control the direction and / or flow rate and / or the flow rate of air flowing from the air treatment unit 20, and which includes, in particular, at least one detector and / or at least one adjustable damper. Alternatively, the control means 23 may be connected to the inlet block 21 instead of the outlet block 22, or to both of these blocks.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the air treatment unit 20 included in the household appliance 1 comprises an air conditioner and / or a device for lowering air humidity. In the present description and in the appended claims, the term "air conditioning" refers to a household appliance configured to take heat from the environment in which the household appliance is installed, or is part of it (for example, in the area surrounding the installation location of the household appliance), in particular, using a cooling cycle, while the term “air humidity lowering device” refers to a household appliance configured to lower absolute and / or relative match humidity in the environment in which the appliance is installed, or its location. In this case, the household appliance 1, in accordance with the present invention, comprises first heat removal means, in particular at least one first evaporator, which is configured to cool the internal compartment (s) of the refrigeration-freezing device 10, and second removal means heat, in particular at least one second evaporator, which is configured to cool and / or reduce humidity in the environment in which the household appliance 1 is installed, or to cool and / or reduce the the importance of the volume of air located in close proximity to the processing module 20. In particular, with reference to the household appliance 1 shown in FIG. 1, it contains a pair of evaporators as the first heat removal means, each of which is connected to a corresponding internal compartment of the refrigeration-freezing device 10, and an evaporator (or secondary fluid heat exchanger) arranged so as to cool and / or lower the humidity of the air flowing through the air treatment unit 20.

It is understood that the household appliance 1 is appropriately installed to provide adequate dispersion of the treated air from the air treatment unit 20: in fact, the air flow exiting the outlet opening unit 22 can enter a large part of the environment in which the household appliance is installed 1. The configuration of the household electrical appliance 1, shown as an example, and not for limitation in figure 1, mainly performed for the case in which the module 20 of the air treatment contains air conditioning: in fact, the benefit Due to the specific location of the air treatment module 20 in the household appliance 1, according to which it is located at a considerable height from the floor, people present in the environment in which the household appliance 1 is installed do not directly get the primary flow of cooled air generated by the internal fan module 20 of the air treatment, but they receive a secondary stream of air generated under the action of gravity, as a result of a smaller specific volume of treated air compared to treated air (warmer and therefore less dense). This secondary airflow directed to the floor from above ensures that the people mentioned above can definitely enjoy the feeling of relief in connection with the sensation of cool, dry air, while at the same time a strong flow of conditioned air is not directed at them. In this regard, the air treatment module is preferably located at a height of 140 cm to 220 cm, more preferably 150 cm to 200 cm, from the base of the household appliance.

If the air treatment unit 20 comprises an air conditioner and / or a humidity reduction device, it preferably has a special cooling circuit for cooling and / or lowering the humidity of the air. Mentioned special cooling circuit can be provided in various ways, each of which can be associated with a specific embodiment of the present invention. The special cooling circuit of the air processing module 20 can be performed separately from and independently of one refrigeration-freezing device 10, or, conversely, it can be represented as part (for example, a branch) of the cooling circuit of the refrigeration-freezing device 10. In the first case, two cooling circuit, and each of them requires its own compressor, while in the latter case one compressor can be used, with the appropriate size, which supplies the corresponding cooling flow REPRESENTATIONS fluid to the evaporator as the air handling unit 20 and to the evaporator (evaporator) refrigerator-freezer 10.

Figures 2-3-4 show, by way of example, some possible configurations of cooling circuits that can be used in a household appliance 1 in accordance with the present invention. First of all, it should be noted that, in order to simplify, the above-mentioned drawings and their detailed description take into account only one evaporator associated with the refrigeration-freezing device 10, which, in particular, is configured to take heat from one of the internal compartments of the refrigerator freezer 10. In the above drawings, therefore, no reference is made to any additional evaporator configured to cool any additional internal compartments of the household appliance 1, since The novelty of the mentioned possible additional evaporators in the cooling circuit of the refrigeration / freezing device 10 is well known to those skilled in the art of domestic refrigeration systems. Reference is also not made to the typology of the refrigeration-freezing device 10, which may contain a static cooling system (i.e., providing thermal expansion as a result of natural convection between the evaporator and the internal cooling compartment), a ventilated cooling system (i.e., providing heat exchange as a result of forced convection between evaporator and a cooled internal compartment) or a non-icing cooling system (that is, providing heat exchange as a result of forced convection between the evaporator and the cooled inner compartment and comprising an automatic evaporator defrosting system configured to prevent accumulation of ice formation on the surface of said evaporator).

Figure 2 shows a first example of a cooling circuit configured to be used in a household appliance 1. Said cooling circuit comprises at least two separate cooling circuits 30 and 40, the first of which contains a first cooling fluid and a first heat removal means and the second of which contains a second cooling fluid and a second heat extraction means. The first heat extraction means is a means configured to cool the internal compartment (s) of the refrigeration-freezing device 10, and is generally represented in FIG. 2 by the first evaporator 31, while the second heat removal means is a means made with the possibility of cooling and / or lowering the humidity of the treated air using the processing module 20, and, in General, is presented in figure 2 by the second evaporator 41.

According to the present invention, said first cooling fluid may be the same (i.e., the same type) as said second cooling fluid, or, conversely, it may be different (i.e., being of a different type) from said second cooling fluid . In particular, the first cooling fluid and / or the second cooling fluid may be a fluid selected from the following: R134a, R600a, R22, R410a, or any other cooling fluid commonly used in cooling and / or air conditioning systems .

A household appliance 1, the cooling circuit of which is schematically shown in FIG. 2, contains two compressors 32 and 42. The first compressor 32 is connected to the first cooling circuit 30 and is configured to compress the first cooling fluid, while the second compressor 42 is connected to the second circuit 40 cooling and is configured to compress the second cooling fluid. Since the two cooling circuits 30 and 40 are made separately from each other and independently from each other, and since the first compressor 32 and the second compressor 42 can operate simultaneously, we can conclude that in accordance with the configuration of the cooling circuit presented in the household appliance 1, as shown in figure 2, it becomes possible to simultaneously cool the inner compartment (compartments) of the refrigeration-freezing device 10 and to carry out conditioning and / or reduce the humidity using the module 20 air treatment in The unit in which the household appliance 1 is installed. The household appliance 1 comprises at least one first condenser 33 configured to condense the first cooling fluid and one second condenser 43 configured to condense the second cooling fluid.

The first cooling circuit 30 comprises a first compressor 32 configured to compress the first cooling fluid. From the outlet of the first compressor 32, the first cooling fluid enters the first condenser 33, located behind the housing of the refrigeration-freezing device 10. In figure 2 (and also in the following figures 3-4) is not shown anti-condensation coil, which is usually located immediately after or immediately in front of the capacitor 33. Said anti-condensation coil is configured to prevent the formation of condensate on the housing of the household appliance 1, along the outer contour of the door 12 of the internal compartment ovogo appliance 1 to be used as the freezer unit. At the outlet of the first condenser 33, there is a first water removal filter 34 used to trap any impurities and / or moisture present in the first cooling circuit 30, installed downstream of the expansion element, preferably the first capillary tube 35, used to expand the first cooling fluid. After the expansion pressure is reached, the first cooling fluid flowing from the expansion element evaporates in the first evaporator 31, which is located inside the household appliance 1. The evaporator 31 is in thermal contact with the internal compartment, from which it removes the heat necessary for evaporation a first cooling fluid, thereby cooling said compartment.

The second cooling circuit 40 comprises a second compressor 42 configured to compress a second cooling fluid. From the outlet of the second compressor 42, the second cooling fluid enters the second condenser 43, in the outlet of which there is a second water removal filter 44 used to trap any contaminants and / or moisture present in the second cooling circuit 40, and an expansion element, preferably a second capillary tube 45 used to expand the second cooling fluid. At this point, the second cooling fluid evaporates in the second evaporator 41, and as a result of its evaporation, it cools and / or removes moisture from the air processed in the processing unit 20. The configuration of the second evaporator 41 is such that the heat exchange between the second cooling fluid and the air to be treated is optimized: therefore, it has a large heat exchange surface area, and this surface is positioned so that it is blown by the air flow generated by the fan 46, thus ensuring maximum heat transfer and at the same time minimal load loss. Associated with the second evaporator 41 is a means for collecting and / or containing condensable water generated as a result of condensation on the second evaporator 41 from the moisture of the ambient air in which the household appliance 1 is located. The said means is shown schematically in FIG. 2 (as well as 3-4) in the form of a gutter 47 and a water drainage system 48, which is located directly below the second evaporator 41. A water drainage system 48 connects the gutter 47 to a water collector (not shown in the drawings attached to this scripture), which is usually located on the lower section of the household appliance 1, in which, under the influence of gravity, precipitated water collects, flowing in the form of drops into the gutter 47.

The typology of the components present in the first and second cooling circuits described above does not limit the inherent inventive concepts of the configuration of the cooling circuit shown in FIG. 2. Said cooling circuit provides optimal control dimensions for its individual components: in particular, the first cooling circuit 30 can be of such dimensions and can be controlled as the cooling circuit of any home refrigeration-freezing device, while the second circuit 40 can be of such dimensions and can be operate as a cooling circuit of any air conditioner and / or device for removing moisture from the air.

Figure 3 shows a second example of a cooling circuit configured to be used in a household appliance 1. This second example is distinguished by the use of a single-phase secondary fluid used as a second cooling fluid for cooling and / or removing moisture from the air in the processing unit 20 . In this case, the second cooling fluid used may be any fluid that remains in a liquid state at the operating temperatures of the second cooling circuit (for example, a mixture of water and glycol). The household appliance 1 comprises one compressor 52 connected to the first cooling circuit 50 and configured to compress the first cooling fluid, and heat exchange means 9 installed between the first cooling circuit 50 and the second cooling circuit 60. The heat transfer means 9, in particular, is configured to transfer heat from the second cooling fluid to the first fluid cooling medium. The household appliance 1 comprises a first condenser (condenser 53 of FIG. 3) configured to condense the first cooling fluid, which may also comprise a second condenser (auxiliary condenser 531 of FIG. 3) also configured to condense the first cooling fluid.

From the outlet of the compressor 52, the first cooling fluid enters a condenser 53 located behind the refrigeration-freezing device 10. At the outlet of the condenser 53, a water removal filter 54 is used to trap any contaminants and / or moisture present in the first cooling circuit 50, and then the first branch point 581 used to divide the first cooling circuit 50 into two branches 501 and 502 follows, the first branch 501 is configured to supply a first heat extraction means and (in particular, said first heat extraction means comprises an evaporator 51), and the second branch 502 is configured to supply heat exchange means 9.

The first branch 501 contains an expansion element, preferably a first capillary tube 55, used to expand the first cooling fluid, and then an evaporator 51 (and any other evaporators configured to cool any other internal compartments of the household appliance 1), which is installed so that it it is in thermal contact with the internal compartment from which it draws the heat necessary to evaporate the first cooling fluid, thereby cooling said compartment. In the second branch 502, an auxiliary condenser 531 and an auxiliary water removal filter 541 can be installed that are not required if the condenser 53 is so large that it is able to dissipate all the condensation heat of the first cooling fluid circulating in both branches 501 and 502. After the auxiliary a condenser 531 and an auxiliary water removal filter 541, if present, has a second expansion element, preferably a second capillary tube 551, used to expand the first cooling giving fluid. After the expansion pressure is reached, the first cooling fluid flowing through the expansion element is vaporized in the heat exchange means 9, thereby removing heat from the second cooling fluid and lowering its temperature.

The two branches 501 and 502 are again connected in the input line of the compressor 52, at the second branch point 582. The flow in both branches 501 and 502 is controlled by means of interception and / or transmission (for example, one or more solenoid valves), shown by way of non-limiting example in FIG. 3, as a plurality of solenoid valves 591, 592 and 593 that are configured to direct the first cooling fluid contained in the first cooling circuit 50, either to the first branch 501 or to the second branch 502, or to distribute the first cooling fluid contained in the cooling circuit 50 between the first branch 501 and a second branch 502. As an alternative to the above configuration of the first cooling circuit 50, in which the first branch 501 and the second branch 502 are arranged in parallel, it is also possible to consider a configuration in which the first branch 501 and the second branch 502 are arranged in series: in this case the first cooling circuit does not include means for intercepting and / or transmitting a stream, and means 9 for heat exchange will be located immediately after the evaporator 51.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, in which the second cooling fluid is a single phase fluid in a liquid state, a pump 62 is included in a second cooling circuit 60 for pumping a second cooling fluid so that it can circulate in the second circuit 60 cooling, thus overcoming load losses. The pump 62 draws the cooled second cooling fluid at the outlet of the heat transfer means 9 and delivers it to a heat exchanger 61 used to cool and / or remove moisture from the air processed in the processing unit 20. The configuration of the heat exchanger 61 is such that the heat exchange between the second cooling fluid and the air to be processed is optimized: therefore, it has a large heat exchange surface area and the surface is designed so that it is blown by the air flow generated by the fan 46, thereby ensuring maximum heat transfer and while minimizing load loss. A means is connected to the heat exchanger 61 for collecting and / or condensing water formed as a result of condensation of air moisture in the environment in which the household appliance 1 is installed.

The typology of the components present in the first and second cooling circuits described above does not limit the inherent inventive concepts of the cooling circuit configuration shown in FIG. 3: in particular, the function of the heat exchange means 9 can be provided by any heat exchanger between a liquid and a gas known in the literature, related to the field of heat engineering.

The cooling circuit of FIG. 3 can be controlled in several ways, one of which is described below by way of non-limiting example. When heat needs to be taken from the internal compartment (s) of the refrigeration-freezing device 10 to lower its temperature (such a need can be detected, for example, by an electromechanical thermostat that is in thermal contact with the evaporator 51), the electromagnetic valve 591 is opened and the electromagnetic valve 592 close, so that the first cooling fluid can evaporate in the evaporator 51 and then enter the inlet of the compressor 52, flowing through the solenoid valve 593, to Which may be a check valve, that is, a valve that allows the flow of the first cooling fluid to flow in only one direction. At the same time, the flow of the second cooling fluid is blocked in the second cooling circuit 60 as a result of turning off the pump 63; the air flow in the processing module 20 can also be blocked by turning off the fan 46. After the desired temperature inside the refrigeration-freezing device 10 is reached, the compressor 52 can remain on, the electromagnetic valve 591 can be closed, and the electromagnetic valve 592 can be opened: whereby the first cooling fluid can cool the second cooling fluid in the heat exchange means 9. At the same time, the flow of the second cooling fluid in the second cooling circuit 60 is restored by turning on the pump 62, and also the operation of the air flow processing unit 20 can be restored by turning on the fan 46.

Figure 4 shows a third example of a cooling circuit configured to be used in a household appliance 1. This third example is characterized by the use of a single cooling circuit 70 for cooling the internal compartment (s) constituting the refrigeration-freezing device 10, and for conditioning and / or removing moisture from the air in the processing unit 20. The cooling circuit 70 includes a compressor 72 configured to compress the cooling fluid contained in the cooling circuit 70, a first branch 701 and a second branch 702. The first branch 701 contains first heat removal means, in particular at least one first evaporator 71, which is configured to cool the inner compartment (s) of the household appliance 1, while the second branch comprises second heat removal means, in particular at least one second evaporator 711, which configured to take heat from the environment in which the household appliance is installed 1. In the configuration of the cooling circuit 70 shown in FIG. 4, the first branch 701 is parallel to the second branch 702. The cooling circuit 70 therefore comprises means for intercepting or transmitting the flow, in particular one or more valves configured to direct the cooling fluid contained in the cooling circuit 70 to either the first branch 701 or the second branch 702, or otherwise configured to possibly it is possible to distribute the cooling fluid contained in the cooling circuit 70 between the first branch 701 and the second branch 702. In addition, the household appliance 1 comprises a first condenser (condenser 73 of FIG. 4) configured to condense the cooling fluid, and it is also possible a second condenser (auxiliary condenser 731 of FIG. 4) configured to condense the cooling fluid, which is connected to a second branch 702 of the cooling circuit 70.

From the outlet of the compressor 72, the cooling fluid enters a condenser 73, which is located behind the refrigeration-freezing device 10. At the outlet of the condenser 73, a water removal filter 74 is installed, which is used to trap any contaminants and / or moisture present in the cooling circuit 70, and then there is a first branch point 781 used to divide the cooling circuit 70 into two branches 701 and 702, the first branch 701 is configured to supply a first heat extraction means (in particular, a first heat removal means comprising first evaporator 71) and the second branch 702 is adapted to supply a second heat removal means (in particular, said second heat removal means comprising the second evaporator 711).

The first branch 701 contains an expansion element, preferably a first capillary tube 75, used to expand the cooling fluid, and then an evaporator 71 (and any other evaporators configured to cool any other internal compartments of the household appliance 1), which is located so that it is in thermal contact with the internal compartment from which it draws the heat necessary to evaporate the cooling fluid, thereby cooling said compartment. In the second branch 702, an auxiliary condenser 731 and an auxiliary water removal filter 741 may be installed that are not required if the condenser 73 is so large that it is able to dissipate all the condensed heat of the cooling fluid circulating in both branches 701 and 702. After the auxiliary condenser 731 and an auxiliary water removal filter 741, if present, has a second expansion element, preferably a second capillary tube 751, used to expand the cooling fluid her environment. After the expansion pressure is reached, the cooling fluid flowing from the expansion element evaporates in the second evaporator 711, thereby cooling and / or removing moisture from the air processed in the processing unit 20. The configuration of the second evaporator 711 is such that the heat exchange between the cooling fluid and the treated air is optimized: therefore, it has a large heat exchange area, said area is set so that it is blown by the air flow generated by the fan 46, thus ensuring maximum heat exchange and while minimizing load loss. A means for collecting and / or containing condensed water formed as a result of condensation on the second evaporator 41 from moisture in the environment in which the household appliance 1 is installed is connected to the second evaporator 711.

The two branches 701 and 702 are again connected in the input line of the compressor 72, at the second branch point 782. The flow in both branches 701 and 702 is controlled by means of intercepting and / or transmitting a flow (for example, one or more solenoid valves), which is shown by way of non-limiting example in FIG. 4 in the form of a plurality of solenoid valves 791, 792 and 793, which are made with the ability to direct the cooling fluid contained in the cooling circuit 70 to either the first branch 701 or the second branch 702 or to distribute the cooling fluid contained in the cooling circuit 70 between the first branch 701 and second branch 702. Alternatively, in the above-mentioned configuration of the cooling circuit 70 in which the first branch 701 and the second branch 702 are installed in parallel, it is also possible to take into account the configuration in which the first branch 701 and the second branch 702 are arranged in series: in such In this case, the cooling circuit will not include any means of intercepting and / or transmitting the flow, and the second evaporator 711 will be located immediately after the first evaporator 71.

The typology of the components present in the cooling circuit shown in FIG. 4 does not limit the inherent inventive concepts of the configuration of the cooling circuit shown in FIG. 4. The cooling circuit of FIG. 4 can be controlled in several ways, one of which is described below by way of non-limiting example. When heat is required to be taken from the internal compartment (s) of the refrigeration-freezing device 10 in order to lower its temperature (this need can be detected, for example, by an electromechanical thermostat installed in thermal contact with the first evaporator 71), the electromagnetic valve 791 is opened and the electromagnetic valve 792 is closed, so that the cooling fluid can evaporate in the first evaporator 71 and then enter the inlet of the compressor 72, flowing through the electromagnetic valve 793, otorrhea may be a check valve, i.e. a valve that passes a stream of cooling fluid in one direction only. At the same time, the air flow in the processing module 20 can be blocked by turning off the fan 46. After the desired temperature inside the refrigeration-freezing device 10 is reached, the compressor 72 can remain on, the electromagnetic valve 791 can be closed, and the electromagnetic valve 792 can be opened: as a result, the cooling fluid is allowed to access the second evaporator 711, where it cools and / or removes moisture from the air processed by the processing unit 20. At the same time, the air flow in the processing module 20 is restored by turning on the fan 46.

After identifying in the course of research in connection with the present invention, a plurality of possible problems related to the use of any of the cooling circuit configurations shown in FIGS. 2-3-3 and described in the above detailed description of the invention, the applicant has found some effective solutions to these potential problems .

The first possible problem may occur when the household appliance 1 contains two separate and separate condensers, the first of which can be connected, like the first condenser 33 of FIG. 2, with the first heat extraction means (for example, the first evaporator 31 of FIG. 2) which is configured to cool the internal compartment (s) of the refrigeration-freezing device 10, while the second of which may be connected, like the second condenser 43 of FIG. 2, to a second heat extraction means (for example, a second evaporator 41 of FIG. .2) which The second one is configured to cool and / or remove moisture from the environment in which the household appliance 1 is located, through an air conditioner and / or a moisture removal device contained in the processing unit 20. In this case, the two condensers can interfere with each other during heat exchange and, thus, can lose a significant part of their performance associated with the condensation of the respective cooling fluids.

The applicant has identified a possible and preferred arrangement, according to which both capacitors can work so as not to interfere with each other during heat exchange: for this reason, the said arrangement, schematically shown in figure 5, provides maximum heat exchange efficiency of both capacitors. Figure 5 shows a top view of a detail of a household appliance 1, more specifically, the rear portion of a household appliance 1.

In FIG. 5, a household appliance 1 is located adjacent to the wall 100, the corresponding distance for which is provided using spacer elements (not shown in FIG. 5). The first capacitor 3 and the second capacitor 4 are bounded by the rear wall 7 of the household appliance 1, so that they are located behind the inner compartment (compartments) of the household appliance 1. At least one separator 101 is mounted on the rear wall 7, configured to contain separated from each other the zones in which the first capacitor 3 and the second capacitor 4 are installed, respectively. The first capacitor 3 may be the first capacitor 33 of FIG. 2, or the capacitor 53 of FIG. 3, or else the capacitor 73 of FIG. 4, while the second capacitor 4 may be the second capacitor 43 of FIG. 2, or auxiliary capacitor 531 of FIG. 3, or otherwise, auxiliary capacitor 731 of FIG. 4.

The first capacitor 3 and / or the second capacitor 4 are so shaped that they contain at least one first surface 3A; 4A heat transfer and one second surface 3B; 4B heat transfer, the first surface 3A; 4A heat transfer, in particular, essentially parallel to the second surface 3B; 4B heat transfer. Due to this shape, the first capacitor 3 and / or the second capacitor 4, when viewed from above in FIG. 5, have a C-shaped profile, that is, a profile having the most distant sections substantially parallel to each other and made substantially longer than a central portion (i.e., a curved portion of the first capacitor 3 and / or the second capacitor 4 of FIG. 5), which is used to connect the two outermost sections of the profile.

A capacitor device, characterized by the form described above, per se represents an invention; in addition, it can preferably be used not only in household electrical appliance 1, but also in any other home cooling household appliance, since it provides high heat transfer efficiency compared to its external dimensions.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is aimed at improving the heat dissipation generated by the first capacitor 3 and / or the second capacitor 4 from the environment in which the household appliance 1 is installed, means are connected to the first capacitor 3 and / or to the second capacitor 4 to select said heat from the environment in which the household appliance is installed 1. If the processing module 20 of the household appliance 1 contains air conditioning and / or a moisture removal device, heat, operated by the first condenser 3 (as well as the second condenser 4, if present) can actually be dissipated, at least in part, by installing one or more fans with the first condenser 3 and / or with the second condenser 4, for transferring said heat to the channel (or chimney) ending on the outside of the building in which the household appliance is installed 1.

The second possible problem associated with the use of any of the configurations of the cooling circuit shown in figures 2-3-4, in the household appliance 1, turned out to be associated with the removal of a significant amount of condensed water, which, in particular, is formed on the walls in hot and humid summer days an evaporator or heat exchanger of the air treatment unit 20 and then collected in a means for collecting water and / or condensing water. Said means for collecting and / or condensing water contains a collecting tank installed under the air treatment module 20: condensed water is collected therein, which is formed as a result of condensation of moisture in the air contained in the environment in which the household appliance 1 is installed, which enters through it a groove 47 (installed with an appropriate slope) and / or a water drainage system 48.

The applicant has found various solutions for the removal of condensing water. According to the first solution, the means for collecting and / or condensing water is completely or partially removable so that it can be emptied (in particular, the collection tank may be removable): this is the first solution, according to which part of the said collection means and / or the water content can be made in the form of a can, on the one hand, requires that this tool be easily accessible, which would allow the user of the household appliance 1 to easily remove it, while, on the other hand , It would be cheap and easy to incarnation.

According to a second solution, a means for collecting and / or maintaining water is connected to a heat source, as a result of which the heat source provides evaporation of condensed water. Said heat source may consist of a compressor (s), or a condenser (s) of a household appliance 1 (which eliminates the need for special energy consumption for evaporation of condensed water, but the amount of water removed is relatively limited), or a special electrical resistance placed, for example, in thermal contact with the condensing water collecting tank mentioned above. On the one hand, this second solution provides the advantage of not requiring the intervention of the user of the household appliance 1, while, on the other hand, it has the disadvantage that the previously removed moisture re-enters the ambient air in which the household appliance 1 is installed, unless the moisture mentioned is brought out together with the condensation heat generated by the condensers.

According to a third solution, the water collection and / or water storage means is associated with a water drainage network, in particular with a domestic sewage system, which allows condensed water to be removed. This solution is most effective for eliminating condensing water, but has a drawback, since it requires certain and costly operations to connect the household electrical appliance 1 to the home sewer system in the building during the installation of the household electrical appliance 1.

An interesting improvement of the household appliance 1 can be obtained if the household appliance 1 is electronically controlled with a sensor means configured to detect the temperature inside the compartment (s) of the household appliance 1. In particular, in this case, the household appliance 1 may contain two separate electronic controllers made with the possibility of controlling the refrigeration-freezing device 10 and the air conditioning and / or moisture removal device, respectively, or, preferably, one electro ny controller used to control both refrigeration and freezing unit 10 and the air conditioning and / or moisture removal device.

If the household appliance 1 comprises a cooling circuit in which there is provided means for intercepting and / or transmitting a flow (such as the electromagnetic valves of FIGS. 3-4), the electronic controller can control said means based on a signal received from a sensor means configured to detect the internal temperature of the refrigeration and freezing device 10. In particular, when controlling the means of interception and / or flow transfer, the central controller assigns a higher priority to cooling the internal x compartments of refrigerator-freezer 10, and a lower priority for conditioning and / or removing moisture from air by processing unit 20.

The presence of an electronic control system in a household appliance 1 also makes it possible to provide an interface device in a household appliance through which the user can turn on / off the air processing module 20 or select the operating parameters of the air processing module 20 (and, possibly, also the refrigeration-freezing device 10): for example, using the aforementioned interface device, the user can adjust the rotation speed of the fan 46 or can change the orientation of the control means 23, possibly O unit 22 connected to the outlet. Instead of an interface device mounted on the household appliance 1 (for example, an interface device mounted on the upper door 11), or in addition to the above device, the household appliance 1 can also be equipped with a radio frequency receiver that is connected to the electronic control system of the household appliance 1, which allows the user to turn on / off the air treatment module 20 or select the operating parameters of the air treatment module 20 (and possibly also the refrigeration-freezing device 10), using appropriate remote control.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, according to which the household appliance 1 comprises means for removing outwardly the heat generated by the capacitor (s) included in the household appliance 1, it becomes possible to use a sensor means configured to detect temperature and / or moisture, and / or air speed in the environment in which the household appliance is installed 1. The electronic control system of the household appliance 1 allows you to control the air conditioner, and / or a moisture removal device, and / or control means 23 of the processing module 20 based on a signal received from said means of the air temperature and / or humidity and / or speed sensor; thus, for example, it allows the air conditioner to be turned on or off when a predetermined temperature is detected in the environment in which the household appliance is installed 1. Said sensor means can either be part of the household appliance 1, or can be installed at some distance from the household appliance 1: in this latter case, it may be connected to the electronic control system of the household appliance 1 via cable or radio frequency channel.

If the household appliance 1 is an electronic control device, the sensor means can be connected to it to detect the level of condensed water in the collection and / or water content. The electronic control system of the household appliance 1 can control the air conditioner and / or the moisture removal device of the processing module 20 based on the level of condensed water detected by said sensor means: in particular, it can turn off the air conditioning and / or the moisture removal device when the level of condensed water reaches a predetermined value . If the household appliance 1 is an electromechanical type device, the aforementioned shutdown of the air conditioner and / or moisture removal device when the condensate level reaches a predetermined level in the collection and / or water content means is carried out using a switch controlled by a float type system installed in the collection means and / or condensate content.

From the presented description it is clear how a household appliance in accordance with the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the above prior art. In fact, it differs from electric household appliances known in the prior art, both in that the air treatment module does not limit the possibilities of the cooled internal compartments, and in that the effect of the air treatment module is felt essentially in the whole environment in which a household appliance is located, and not only within a limited volume around a household appliance.

From the aforementioned prior art, it follows that only one type of processing of ambient air is available with electrical household appliances containing in one housing one or more internal compartments, which are adapted to be used as refrigerated compartments or compartments of the freezer, since their cooling is provided by the associated cooling circuit and air handling module. Conversely, a preferred embodiment of the present invention makes it possible to combine several air treatment systems in the processing module 20 of the household appliance 1.

Such a preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 6, in which several air filtration and / or treatment systems are included in the processing module 20 (which is shown in sectional side view). All of these systems may be present together, or may be installed separately in the household appliance 1, or may be combined in any way and may include air treatment systems and / or air conditioning systems and / or moisture removal systems from the air, and / or systems for dispersing flavorings and / or perfumes.

6 shows the air flow through the processing unit 20 of the household appliance 1 generated by the fan 46. Air enters the processing unit 20 through the inlet unit 21 and then flows through the first filtering unit 90, which may include a mesh pre-filter configured to capture macroscopic contaminants present in the air (e.g. dust) and activated carbon filters configured to trap odors present in the environment in which the household appliance 1 (usually in the kitchen at home). The air then blows the aforementioned second heat removal means 8, which may be the second evaporator 41 of FIG. 2, or the heat exchanger 61 of FIG. 3, or the second evaporator 711 of FIG. 4. At this stage, the air is cooled and / or moisture is removed from it, and condensate is formed on the surface of the second heat removal means 8, which then flows into the groove 47 connected to the storage tank through the water drainage system 48. The gutter is installed at an angle to ensure optimal drainage of condensed water flowing into it. Typically, an air purifier 91 is located downstream of the fan, which may comprise a filtration system (preferably consisting of at least one electrostatic filter), for filtering any particles that were not trapped in the first filtration unit 90, and an ionizer for sterilization air flow. As an alternative to the ionizer, it is possible to use a sterilization system, in particular a sterilization system based on the photocatalytic effect or ultraviolet sterilization. Finally, perfume and / or flavoring agents can be added to the air using a diffuser 80 before the air is discharged through the outlet block 22 of the processing unit 20 of the household appliance 1.

The arrangement, order and position of the components of FIG. 6 are not binding, as they are presented merely as a non-restrictive example. In addition, the description of the various components of FIG. 6 was deliberately left in a generalized form, since the components are described in detail in the technical literature related to the field of air treatment.

The present invention has been described, in particular with reference to specific examples of embodiments thereof, but it is understood that many changes can be made by those skilled in the art without going beyond the scope defined in the attached claims.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the (previously described) aspects related to the air conditioning and / or moisture removal system are not necessarily related to the (previously described) aspects related to setting the location of the air treatment module and its components, in particular the inlet block, block outlet and control means.

Claims (25)

1. A household appliance (1), in particular, intended for use in a home environment, containing one or more internal compartments made with the possibility of cooling them, and an air treatment module (20) adapted to process air in an environment in which said household electrical appliance (1) is installed, wherein said air treatment module (20) is located above said one or more internal compartments, characterized in that said air treatment module (20) comprises an air conditioner and / or device moisture removal, and said household appliance (1) comprises first heat removal means, in particular at least one first evaporator (31) configured to cool said one or more internal compartments, and second heat removal means, in particular at least at least one second evaporator (41), configured to take heat from the air in the environment in which said household appliance is installed (1). 2. A household appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said air treatment module (20) comprises:
an air inlet unit (21) configured to supply air to said module (20), and
an air outlet block (22) configured to discharge treated air from said module (20), wherein said air outlet block (22) is configured to discharge treated air in an adjustable direction, and
said air inlet block (21) is configured to supply air to said module (20) from the front of said household appliance in such a way that the treated air discharged by said module (20) cannot immediately re-enter said module ( twenty). 3. A household appliance (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said air inlet block (21) is located above said air outlet block (22). 4. A household appliance (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the said block (21) of the air inlet is located behind said block (22) of the air outlet relative to the front of said household appliance. 5. A household appliance (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said air inlet block (21) is located behind said air outlet (22) block with respect to the front of said household appliance. 6. A household appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 5, characterized in that said air treatment module (20) is configured to discharge a stream of treated air and comprises control means (23) adapted to control the direction and / or the feed rate and / or speed of said air flow, and said control means (23) comprises at least one deflector and / or at least one control flap, preferably connected to said air outlet block (22) ear. 7. A household appliance (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said air treatment module (20) is configured to discharge a stream of treated air and comprises control means (23) configured to control the direction and / or intensity of the feed and / or speed of said air flow, and said control means (23) comprises at least one deflector and / or at least one control flap, preferably connected to said air outlet block (22). 8. A household appliance (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that said air treatment module (20) is configured to discharge a stream of treated air and comprises control means (23) configured to control the flow direction and / or intensity and / or speed of said air flow, and said control means (23) comprises at least one deflector and / or at least one control flap, preferably connected to said air outlet block (22). 9. A household appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, 7 and 8, characterized in that said air treatment module (20) comprises a fan (46), which circulates the treated air. 10. A household appliance (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said air treatment module (20) comprises a fan (46), which circulates the treated air. 11. A household appliance (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that said air treatment module (20) comprises a fan (46), which circulates the treated air. 12. A household appliance (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that said air treatment module (20) comprises a fan (46) that circulates the treated air. 13. A household appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, and 10-12, characterized in that said household appliance (1) contains at least two separate cooling circuits, the first of said circuits ( 30) cooling includes a first cooling fluid and comprises said first heat removal means, and a second of said cooling circuits (40) includes a second cooling fluid and comprises said second heat removal means. 14. A household appliance (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said household appliance (1) contains at least two separate cooling circuits, the first of said cooling circuits (30) includes a first cooling fluid and comprises said first removal means heat, and the second of said cooling circuits (40) includes a second cooling fluid and comprises said second heat removal means. 15. A household appliance (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that said household appliance (1) contains at least two separate cooling circuits, the first of said cooling circuits (30) includes a first cooling fluid and comprises said first removal means heat, and the second of said cooling circuits (40) includes a second cooling fluid and comprises said second heat removal means. 16. A household appliance (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that said household appliance (1) contains at least two separate cooling circuits, the first of said cooling circuits (30) includes a first cooling fluid and comprises said first removal means heat, and the second of said cooling circuits (40) includes a second cooling fluid and comprises said second heat removal means. 17. A household appliance (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that said household appliance (1) comprises at least two separate cooling circuits, the first of said cooling circuits (30) includes a first cooling fluid and comprises said first removal means heat, and the second of said cooling circuits (40) includes a second cooling fluid and comprises said second heat removal means. 18. A household electrical appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10-12 and 14-17, characterized in that said household electrical appliance (1) contains two compressors, the first of said compressors ( 32) is connected to said first of said cooling circuits (30) and is configured to compress said first cooling fluid, and a second of said compressors (42) is connected to said second of said cooling circuits (40) and is configured to compress said second cooling fluid, in particular said the first of said compressors (32) and said second of said compressors (42) are configured to operate simultaneously. 19. A household appliance (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that said household appliance (1) comprises one compressor (52) connected to a first cooling circuit (50) and configured to compress said first cooling fluid, and means (9) heat exchange between said cooling circuits, configured to transfer heat from said second cooling fluid to said first cooling fluid. 20. A household appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10-12, 14-17 and 19, characterized in that said household appliance (1) contains one cooling circuit (70), said cooling circuit (70) comprising a compressor (72) adapted to compress the cooling fluid contained in said cooling circuit (70), a first branch (701) and a second branch (702), said first branch (701) comprising said first heat removal means, and said second branch (702) comprises said second means about heat removal. 21. A household appliance (1) according to claim 20, characterized in that said first branch (701) is installed parallel to said second branch (702), and said cooling circuit (70) comprises means for intercepting or transmitting a stream, in particular one or more solenoid valves (591; 592; 593) configured to direct the cooling fluid contained in said cooling circuit (70) either to said first branch (701), or to said second branch (702), or otherwise made with the possibility of distribution separating the cooling fluid contained in said cooling circuit (70) between said first branch (701) and said second branch (702), and said household appliance (1) comprises a first condenser (3) configured to condense said cooling fluid medium, and possibly also a second condenser (4) configured to condense said cooling fluid, said second condenser (4) being associated with said second branch (702) of said circuit (70) cooling. 22. A household appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10-12, 14-17, 19 and 21, characterized in that said household appliance (1) contains a first capacitor (3) configured to condense said first cooling fluid, and possibly also a second condenser (4) configured to condense said second cooling medium or said first cooling fluid. 23. A household appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10-12, 14-17.19, and 21, characterized in that a means for collecting and / or the content of condensed water generated as a result of condensation on said second means of extracting heat from atmospheric air moisture in which said household electrical appliance is installed (1), and said means for collecting and / or containing condensed water are completely or partially removable in this way that it can be emptied l, or said means of collecting and / or water content is connected to a heat source so that it is possible to evaporate condensed water using said heat source, or said means of collecting and / or water content is connected to means intended for connecting to a water drainage network , in particular, with a sewage system at home, which allows you to drain condensed water. 24. A household appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10-12, 14-17, 19 and 21, characterized in that said air treatment module (20) comprises a cleaner (91) air, and said air purifier (91) comprises at least one ionizer and a filtration system, said filtration system preferably comprising at least one activated carbon filter or at least one electrostatic filter, and said air purifier (91) comprises a sterilization system, said sterilization system, in particular represents a system based on the photocatalytic effect or on the basis of ultraviolet radiation. 25. A household appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10-12, 14-17, 19 and 21, characterized in that said air treatment module (20) comprises a diffuser (80) fragrance and / or perfume.

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