SI25144A - A cooling-freezing appliance with a device that facilitates door opening - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerating-freezing apparatus comprising at least one thermally insulated compartment for receiving goods which can be closed by a door or by a cover, and in particular to a pressure equalization apparatus in the refrigerating-freezer or said compartment. According to the present invention it is provided that a pressure equalization device (7) is arranged on at least one wall of the housing (3) or of the door (4), in the compartment (2) or a refrigerating-freezer (1), wherein a desiccant (9) is arranged inside the pressure equalization device (7).

Description

[00011 The present invention relates to a refrigerating-freezing apparatus comprising at least one heat-insulated compartment for receiving goods, which is enclosed by a housing and which can be closed by a door or a lid, the enclosure comprising a perimeter wall and a back wall, and a device facilitating the opening of the refrigerator-freezer door.

[0002] A cooling system, such as a compressor or absorption cooling system, or the like, is provided to create a temperature difference between a thermally insulated compartment for receiving goods and the surrounding atmosphere. The temperature of the food and air in said thermally insulated compartment changes due to the cyclical operation of the refrigeration system and / or the occasional opening of the door or compartment, which causes fluctuations in the pressure in the thermally insulated space and the consequent exchange of air with the surrounding atmosphere. Each time the door is opened, the compartment cover is replaced by a portion of the air in the thermally insulated compartment with a warmer compartment. After closing the door or. Due to the cooling of said warmer air, a compartment cover is created which sucks the warm and moist air from the surroundings into the interior of the refrigerator and freezer. said compartment. Excess moisture from the air is deposited in the form of dew or dross on cold surfaces, accumulates there and causes icing. Depending on the tightness of the housing or the sealing surfaces between the door or the door. the lid and compartment, the pressure equalization between the surroundings and the thermally insulated compartment may take a long time. This underpressure makes it difficult or even temporarily impossible to open the door or door. compartment cover. For easier opening of doors or doors. different mechanical systems and connecting openings with the surrounding atmosphere are used, thus leaving the inside of the refrigerator-freezer or the compartment is faster equated to ambient pressure. The disadvantage of such solutions is the accumulation of frost, especially around the connection opening, on the interior surfaces of the appliance and on foods close to the opening.

To overcome the above problems, solutions disclosing the use of a special dehumidifier as part of a cooling system or a renewable desiccant in the sense of a molecular sieve placed inside the freezer or in the said connection opening are disclosed. When the desiccant is installed inside the appliance, the resulting usable space is significantly reduced, and the incision around the connection opening is only slightly removed. In addition, after drying the moisture-freezer, the user of the refrigerator-freezer must remove and put it into regeneration or install a new one in order to prevent the formation of a cut in the refrigerator-freezer.

Designs that have a desiccant in the connecting hole, otherwise significantly reduce moisture entry into the appliance or. compartment, but the replacement or regeneration of such a drying agent is quite difficult. Installation in the connection opening locally reduces the thermal insulation of the apparatus casing or reduces its usable volume, [0003] The object of the invention is to create a pressure equalization device for a refrigerating-freezer apparatus, which eliminates the disadvantages of known solutions.

[0004] The object of the present invention is solved by the features given in the characteristic part of claim 1. Details of the invention are disclosed in the corresponding sub-claims.

[0005] The invention is hereinafter described in more detail on the basis of a non-limiting embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings, where FIG. 1 is a simplified view of a refrigerator-freezer, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pressure equalization device of FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional connection channel, and FIG. 4 a device for equalizing pressure in three-dimensional view.

[0006] The refrigerator-freezer 1 comprises at least one thermally insulated compartment for receiving goods, which is enclosed by a housing 3 and which can be closed by a door 4 or a lid. Said door 4 may be designed as either an upright door or a recessed door, depending on the embodiment of the refrigerator-freezer 1. The invention will now be described in the following embodiment of the upright apparatus 1.

[0007] Said housing 3 comprises a side wall, a lower and an upper wall, and a back wall 5. A known capacitor 6 is arranged along the outside of the back wall 5 and in the lower region thereof, in order to prevent underpressure in compartment 2, there is on the outside of one of the walls of the housing 3 or the door 4, and in the embodiment shown, a removable device 7 for equalizing the pressure in the compartment 2 or 2 is arranged on the outside of the back wall 5. the freezer 1. The aforementioned device 7 is preferably arranged in the area directly above the condenser 6 of the refrigeration freezer 1. The said pressure equalizing device 7 is with the interior of the freezer 1 or. connected to the interior of compartment 2 by means of a connecting channel 8, which is designed in said back wall 5. The connecting channel 8 is then inclined downwards from the interior of compartment 2 towards the surroundings. A drying agent 9, for example in the form of a molecular sieve, is arranged inside the pressure equalizer 7.

Said pressure equalization device 7 is designed as a container 10, comprising a tubular nozzle 11 that is tightly inserted into said connecting channel 8. Said tubular nozzle 11 extends from the container 10 with approximately the same obliquity as the connecting channel 8. The latter is at the outer side of the back wall provided with a flange 12 which is provided for attaching a pressure equalization device 7. Said device 7 is connected to said flange 12 either in a locking manner, for example by snapping, and / or in a silo, for example by means of at least one screw means.

For this purpose, the container 10 is provided in the area of connection with the tube nozzle 11 with a flange 13 comprising either counter-locking means such as said flange 12 of the connecting channel 8 and / or at least one through hole 13a for receiving said screw means. Further, at least one wall and / or bottom 14 of the container 10 is designed with at least one, preferably with a plurality of through holes 15 for the flow of air from the environment into the interior of the compartment 2. The total surface of the through holes is such that it allows good air flow and thus quick equalization pressures between the inside of the refrigerating freezer 1 oz. compartment 2 and the surrounding atmosphere.

[0009] Said container 10 may be made in a single disposable piece and is removed and discarded after use of the drying agent 9. In an alternative embodiment, said container 10 is designed with a lid 16 that closes the container 10 on the opposite side of the bottom 14.

In this case, the spent drying agent 9 can be removed and replaced with a new one. Said desiccant 9 may be in the form of a granulate or a monolithic mold received by the container 10. In each case, however, the said through hole 15 is smaller than the dimension of the granulate or. individual grain of the drying agent 9, thereby preventing the drying agent particles 9 from falling through the holes 15. Said container 10 may be made of a material that is resistant to high temperatures, thereby allowing the drying agent 9 to be regenerated without opening, for example in a furnace . In addition, the container 10 may be made of a translucent material, which makes it fairly quickly apparent whether the drying agent 9 is already worn out. whether regeneration is required. In order to further improve the determination of the utilization of the drying agent 9, it is envisaged that the drying agent 9 is admixed with a pigment which, depending on the degree of moisture or moisture content. moisture saturation changes color.

[00010] Said connecting channel 8 and said tube nozzle 11 form a tight fit in the composite state, preventing air from flowing from the surrounding area into the freezer 1 or 2. compartment 2 anywhere other than through holes 15 and desiccant 9. In addition to said tight match, said locking connection between the flange 12 of the connecting channel 8 and the flange 13 of the container 10 contributes to this. with at least one tooth 17 that grabs the flange edge 18 of the flange 13 accordingly.

[00011] Due to pressure differences resulting from temperature changes during the cyclic operation of the refrigeration system or the opening of the door / lid, air flows from the surroundings to the interior of the appliance or vice versa. The air travels through the desiccant 9 in the container 10 disposed on the outside of the appliance 1, preferably above the condenser 6. Upon entering the appliance 1, the desiccant retains water molecules and continues the path of dry air into the appliance. In the opposite case, when dry air flows from the freezer, it takes in its paths molecules of water from the desiccant and takes them to the surroundings. Because the container 10 with the drying agent 9 is disposed directly above the condenser 6 or. in its immediate vicinity, natural convection of heat contributes to the regeneration of the drying capacity of the adsorbent. If extremely high humidity is present in the surrounding atmosphere, the capacity of the drying agent 9 may be too small for long-term efficiency. In such cases, the drying agent 9 may be regenerated by drying at the appropriate temperature or replaced with a new one.

[00012] One of the further advantages of the external installation of the pressure equalization device 7 according to the invention also lies in the fact that it does not reduce the usable space in the freezer. In addition, said device 7 can be serviced in any older refrigerator-freezer, where such device was not intended. This reduces the speed and amount of fouling on the evaporation surfaces and makes it easier to open the door / lid. In the rehabilitation of existing appliances, a hole is inserted through the insulation at a suitable location through which a connecting channel 8 is inserted. The flange 12 of the connecting channel 8 is secured by means of the edge 18 to the flange 13 of the container 10 and further secured by screws.

[00013] According to the present invention, it is also possible that the pressure equalizing device 7 in the freezer 1 is arranged on or in any other housing wall 3 or door 3, not only on the back wall 5. In addition, said device 7 can be arranged outside or inside the freezer 1. According to one of the possible embodiments, it is contemplated that the device 7 is designed in the handle of the freezer 1, which greatly facilitates the user access to

devices for pressure equalization and handling.

Claims (14)

Patent claims 1. Refrigeration and freezing apparatus comprising at least one heat-insulated compartment for receiving goods, enclosed by a housing and which can be closed by a door or by a cover, the housing comprising a circumferential wall and a back wall, and a device that facilitates opening refrigerator freezer door, characterized in that a pressure equalization device (7) is arranged on or in at least one wall of the housing (3) or door (4) for compression pressure in the compartment (2) or. a refrigerating-freezing apparatus (1), with a drying agent (9) arranged inside the pressure equalizing device (7). Pressure equalizing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the device (7) is removable. Pressure equalization device according to Claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the device (7) with the inside of the refrigerator-freezer (1) or. connected to the interior of the compartment (2) by means of a connecting channel (8) designed in said at least one wall of the housing (3) or door (4) Pressure equalizing device according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said pressure equalization device (7) is designed as a container (10), comprising a tubular nozzle (11) that is tightly inserted into said connecting channel (8). ), which is provided with a flange (12), wherein the container (10) is provided with a flange (13) in the area of connection with the pipe fitting (11). 5. A pressure equalization device according to claim 4, characterized in that the connection between the flange (12) of the connecting channel (8) and the flange (13) of the container (10) is designed as a form-connection. Pressure equalization device according to Claim 5, characterized in that the flange (12) of the connecting channel (8) is formed in the inlet area of the pipe nozzle (11) with at least one tooth (17) which grabs by a properly trimmed edge (18). ) flanges (13) of container (10). Pressure equalization device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one wall and / or bottom (14) of the container is designed with at least one, preferably with a plurality of through holes (15) for the flow of air from the environment into the interior of the compartment (2). Pressure equalization device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said container (10) is made in a single disposable piece. A pressure equalization device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said container (10) is designed with a lid (16) which closes the container (10) on the opposite side of the bottom (14). Pressure equalization device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said container (10) is made of a material that is resistant to high temperatures. Pressure equalization device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said container (10) is made of translucent material. Pressure equalizing device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drying agent (9) is admixed with a pigment which, depending on the degree of moisture or moisture content. moisture saturation changes color. Pressure equalizing device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said connecting channel (8) and said tubing (11) form a close match in the composite state. Pressure equalization device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure equalization device (7) is arranged on the outside of the refrigeration freezer (1), preferably in the area directly above the condenser (6).