EVAPORATING TRAY
Technical Field
This invention is related to an evaporating tray used in refrigerators.
Background Art
In the state of the art, evaporating trays are used to allow defrost water formed in refrigerators to be collected and evaporated.
Evaporating trays are placed at the rear bottom portion of the refrigerator. To increase evaporation rate of the defrost water, heat dissipated by the compressor acts on the evaporating tray. For this purpose, evaporating trays either are positioned above the compressor in contact with the top of it in a heat-conducting manner or mounted above the compressor with little space apart.
In the prior art, to be able to make maximum use of heat released by the compressor, it is known that base of the evaporating t ray (1) i s made cambered due to the circular shape of the top portion of the compressor. Present evaporating tray (1) consists of a middle chamber (2) and two side chambers (3) located on both sides of the middle chamber and depths of which are higher than the middle chamber. Due to the cambered base wall of the evaporating tray (1), defrost water coming to the evaporating tray (1) through a drain hose accumulate more in side chambers (3) than middle chamber (2). However, middle chamber (2) of the evaporating tray (1) heats up more than side chambers (3). Therefore, accumulation of water in side chambers (3) affects evaporation adversely. (FIG. 1)
In the prior art, to solve the problem described above, solutions directed to the surface properties of the evaporating tray has been disclosed. Of these, Japan Patent No. JP 11- 211331 discloses an evaporating tray which is separated into two nested chambers, and in this evaporating tray defrost water is primarily stored in an inner chamber which absorbs heat more, an overflow of water is passed to an outer chamber. Since the inner chamber is in contact with the arched part of the compressor, evaporation rate in this chamber is higher relatively to that in the outer chamber. In contrast, evaporation rate in the outer chamber is significantly low due to the greater depth.
Also, because middle chamber or side chambers to which drain hose is connected has large base area, water level in this chamber is low and a noise is heard during drain hose draw back water from the evaporating tray due to vacuum generated when refrigerator door is opened.
Object of the Invention
Object of the present invention is to increase evaporation yield of defrost water accumulated in an evaporating tray of refrigerators.
Another o bject of t he i nvention i s to p revent t he n oise that i s h eard w hen d rain h ose draws back water from the evaporating tray due to vacuum generated when refrigerator door is opened and closed.
Description of Drawings
FIG. 1 is a top view of an evaporating tray disclosed in the prior art.
FIG. 2 is a top view of an evaporating tray of the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows mounting manner of the evaporating tray of the present invention onto the compressor.
Reference numerals of parts in the figures and counterparts of these numerals are as follows: 1. Evaporating tray disclosed in the prior art 2. Middle chamber of the evaporating tray disclosed in the prior art 3. Side chambers of the evaporating tray disclosed in the prior art 4. Evaporating tray of the present invention 5. Front reservoir 6. Rear reservoir 7. Pool 8. Middle chamber 9. Front reservoir wall 10. Rear reservoir wall 11. Pool wall 12. Protrusion
13. Duct 14. Front reservoir wall slot 15. Rear reservoir wall slot 16. Pool wall slot 17. Refrigerator 18. Water drain hose 19. Compressor
Evaporating tray (4) of the invention consists of a middle chamber (8) and two side chambers located on both sides of the middle chamber (8) and depths of which are higher than the middle chamber (8). Side chamber to which water drain hose (18) connected is divided transversely in two separate chambers. One of these chambers is front reservoir (5) in which defrost water begins to accumulate and the other is rear reservoir (6). Side chamber located on the other side of the middle chamber (8) is named as pool (7).
There is front reservoir wall (9) between the front reservoir (5) and the middle chamber (8) and by means of the front reservoir wall slot (14) herein water flow is provided from the front reservoir (5) to the middle chamber (8). There is rear reservoir wall (10) between the rear reservoir (6) and the middle chamber (8) and by means of the rear reservoir wall slot (15) herein water flow is provided from the middle chamber (8) to the rear reservoir (6). There is pool wall (11) between the pool (7) and the middle chamber (8) and by means of the pool wall slot (16) herein water flow is provided from the middle chamber (8) to the pool (7).
There are horizontal protrusions (12) in the middle chamber (8) where the evaporating tray (4) is the hottest thus the evaporation rate is the highest to prevent vertical movement of the water coming from the middle chamber (8) through the front reservoir wall slot (14) from the front reservoir (5) towards the rear reservoir (6). These protrusions (12) which are spaced apart and have a specified height ensure defrost water to move horizontally in the middle chamber (8) and therefore to contact with the middle chamber (8) for extended period of time. Defrost water flows along the duct (13) formed between these protrusions (12).
Defrost water coming with the water drain hose (18) firstly begins to accumulate in the front reservoir (5). When the amount of water increases in the front reservoir (5), accumulated water flows through the front reservoir wall slot (14) to the middle chamber (8). Water flowed to the middle chamber (8) flows along the duct (13) herein. Thus, the contact surface of the middle chamber (8) with the defrost water is enlarged. The water that is not evaporated yet flows through the pool wall slot (16) to the pool (7) on the one hand, and flows through the rear reservoir wall slot (15) to the rear reservoir (6) on the other hand.
The protrusions (12) located in the middle chamber (8) of the evaporating tray (4) of the subject matter of the invention and the duct (13) formed between these protrusions (12) can be generated in different ways. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, protrusions (12) are formed horizontally between the two side chambers. There is a specified distance between these protrusions (12) formed parallel to each other. Defrost water reached to the middle chamber (8) by flowing through the front reservoir wall slot (14) flows horizontally along the first protrusion that placed on the middle chamber (8), towards the p ool (7). D efrost water e nters i nto the d uct (13) p assing through t he gap between the pool wall (11) and the protrusion. Defrost water entered into the duct (13) cannot flow vertically because of the second protrusion but flows horizontally in the duct (13) towards the front (5) and the rear (6) reservoir. Defrost water flows vertically till the third protrusion by passing through the second gap formed in a suitable place. The third protrusion prevents defrost water to flow vertically but ensures to flow horizontally towards the pool (7). In this manner remaining amount of the defrost water that is not evaporated yet but flows progressively in a vertical direction on the surface of the middle chamber (8) accumulates in the rear reservoir (6) by passing through the rear reservoir wall slot (15) and in the pool (7) by passing through the pool wall slot (16). Flowing of the defrost water in the duct (13) formed with parallel protrusions (12) generated horizontally and dislocation gaps increases the contact surface with the middle chamber (8).
By means of the small volume chambers (5) (6) and the duct (13) in the middle chamber
(8) of the evaporating tray (4) of the invention instead of large volume chambers (2) (3) in the e vaporating tray ( 1 ) t hat i s d isclosed i n t he p rior a rt, the e vaporation e fficiency i s increased by preventing the accumulation of the water and increasing the contact surface of the water with the hotness coming from the compressor (19).
Due to the vacuum occurred during the opening and the closing of the refrigerator (17) door, water drain hose (18) tries to draw back the water inside the evaporating tray. In the prior art, because of the low level of water due to the large base area of the middle chamber (2) or side chambers (3), a noise is heard at each opening and closing of the refrigerator.
In the evaporating tray (4) of the invention, to eliminate the noise generated because of the vacuum, front reservoir (5) is utilized where the drain hose (18) begins to accumulate the defrost water. Since the base area of the front reservoir (5) which is formed by dividing one of the side chambers transversely in two portions is small, the level of the water is high. Thus, the noise generation because of the vacuum during the opening and closing of the door of the refrigerator (17) is prevented.
Use of the evaporating tray (4) of the invention in refrigerators, provides both acceleration of the evaporation of the defrost water drained and elimination of the noise generated by the trial of vacuum formed during the opening and closing of the door of refrigerators to draw back water from the end of the water drain hose remaining in the evaporating tray.
The preferred evaporating tray above should not be considered as limiting the protection scope of the invention. In the view of the teachings disclosed with the invention, the modifications on this preferred evaporating tray should be evaluated in the scope of the invention.