WO2006097801A2

WO2006097801A2 - Refrigeration apparatus with hermetic container

Info

Publication number: WO2006097801A2
Application number: PCT/IB2006/000289
Authority: WO
Inventors: Domenico Cappelletti; Francesco Cristofanelli
Original assignee: Indesit Company S.P.A.
Priority date: 2005-02-18
Filing date: 2006-02-14
Publication date: 2006-09-21
Also published as: ITTO20050095A1; WO2006097801A3; EP1848936A2; RU2402430C2; RU2007134581A

Abstract

Refrigeration apparatus (1) fitted with at least one refrigeration cell (3) adapted to housing at least a container (4) for food storage, and with a suction system (2) to generate a vacuum within said container (4); said cell (3) comprises a shelf (12) incorporating a suction duct (13) which is coupled with said suction system (2) and which may be coupled with said container (4) in order to generate a vacuum within said container (4).

Description

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS WITH HERMETIC CONTAINER

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a refrigeration apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1. Although not being subject to any strict limitations, the present invention is typically applied to upright refrigeration apparatus for domestic use.

Refrigeration apparatus, which are the subject of the present invention, comprise at least one refrigeration cell having an opening being accessible through a door.

The patent literature discloses refrigeration apparatus having spaces dedicated to containers being specifically structured for storing food in a vacuum; such a vacuum condition within the containers is obtained by means of a suction system comprised in the structure of the refrigeration apparatus. The European Patent 545246 discloses household refrigerators comprising suction systems for generating a vacuum within removable boxes, which can be closed with lids ensuring an aitight sealing. Such boxes can be removed from the refrigeration apparatus in order to make it easier for the user to place food therein. Such boxes also comprise connection means adapted to be connected to the suction system of the household refrigerator. In particular, the boxes are connected to the end portion of the suction system pipe coming out from the rear vertical wall of the refrigerator, i.e. from the wall being opposite to the refrigerator door. When the user puts the box wherein he/she wants to generate a vacuum into the appropriate housing, the final portion of the suction system pipe gets coupled with the connection means of the box itself; these means are therefore present on the box side facing the refrigerator wall from which the suction system pipe comes out.

The above-described solution has drawbacks because when the box is extracted from its housing the vacuum condition within the box itself is lost. This is due to the fact that the extraction of the box involves its uncoupling from the suction system, causing the air to enter the box. Another drawback lies in the fact that such a solution requires special boxes which can be used only in refrigerators fitted with a suction system for generating a vacuum within such boxes. Furthermore, this solution is not particularly flexible, as the number and position of the boxes are fixed and predetermined.

The French Patent 1.377.844 describes a household refrigerator having an airtight compartment integrated inside the refrigerator and comprising an airtight door. A vacuum is generated within said compartment through a combined suction system associated with the refrigerator.

As an alternative to the above-mentioned airtight compartment, this document also describes a removable container which can be airtight closed by means of a door. The container is thermally insulated with respect to the refrigerator, for the purpose of preventing the temperature within the container from falling too much in the event that, for preserving food in a vacuum, it were necessary to keep a temperature higher than that being present inside the refrigeration cell.

Such a solution turns out to have particular drawbacks as, if the structure is of the airtight- compartment type, the suction system will be activated every time the user closes the compartment door after having removed the food stored therein. If the structure consists of a removable container, the connection means are still present on the box side facing the refrigerator rear wall, from which the end portion of the suction system pipe comes out. Therefore, this solution is bound by the number and the predetermined position of the containers. The general object of the present invention is to provide a solution being innovative compared to the state of the art as far as maintaining a vacuum condition and ease of use are concerned. In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide a solution for refrigeration apparatus which is easy to use and which allows the users to employ vacuum containers available on the market. This solution, among other things, also allows to reduce production costs and hence sale prices, as well as to provide interchangeability of containers used for storing food in a vacuum.

These objects are substantially achieved by the refrigeration apparatus having the features described in the independent claim 1; advantageous aspects of the present invention are detailed in dependent claims. The idea at the basis of the present invention is to provide a system being capable of operating with removable containers already available on the market, i.e. of generating a vacuum within such containers for preserving food.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and from the annexed drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a partial axonometric view of a refrigeration apparatus according to the present invention, with open door;

Fig. 2 shows an airtight container fitted with a lid comprising a vacuum valve which may be used in the present invention;

Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of the shelf of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows a schematic and simplified view of connection means being in two different conditions, i.e. a rest condition (Fig. 4A) and a working condition (Fig. 4B), of the shelf of

Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows a schematic and simplified view of the pumping system of the apparatus of Fig.

1.

Said description and said drawings are to be considered as non-limiting examples. Fig. 1 shows a schematic and simplified partial axonometric projection view of a refrigeration apparatus for domestic use, indicated as a whole with the reference number 1, comprising a refrigeration cell 3. Said cell 3 comprises a shelf 12, which is the subject of the present invention, wherein two depression have been obtained which form two trays 14, as shown in the illustration. These trays 14 can be used by the user for placing food to be preserved in a refrigerated environment, such as, for example, cheese or cold meat, or else they can be used by the user for placing opened food packs which need to be preserved in a refrigerated and protected environment. Said trays 14, in fact, may be protected with a lid (not shown in the drawing for simplicity's sake), e.g. made of glass, transparent plastic, or of the same material used for the shelf 12. Between the two trays 14 there is a mechanic device 17 housing elements being necessary for generating a vacuum according to the present invention.

Such elements are not visible in Fig. 1 as, according to the present exemplified embodiments, they are located in the lower portion of the shelf 12. The mechanic device 17 has on its front side, facing the refrigerator door (not shown for simplicity's sake), a push-button indicated with reference number 8.

Fig. 1 also shows three containers having a rectangular cross-section, each one indicated with reference number 4; each container 4 is fitted with an airtight lid, also having a rectangular cross-section, indicated with reference number 5. The containers 4 are located under the shelf 12 and rested on a housing 16. The position of the three containers 4 on the housing 16 is determined and constrained by two separators 18, e.g. obtained on the housing 16 by moulding . The housing 16, comprised within the refrigeration cell, is in a position being parallel to the shelf 12, at such a distance from the shelf 12 as to allow the containers 4 to be inserted and positioned between the shelf 12 and the housing 16.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the container 4 used in the application according to the present invention shown in Fig. 1. The container 4 is closed by the lid 5, which makes the container airtight. The lid 5 comprises the valve 6, through which the air is extracted from the container in order to generate a vacuum therein; the extraction of air may take place after the valve 6 is coupled with the mechanic device 7. Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of the shelf 12 of the apparatus of Fig. 1. This sectional view details the mechanic device 17. In fact, this drawing shows a schematic and simplified representation of some of the elements used according to the present invention for obtaining the vacuum condition inside the container 4. The reference number 13 indicates a suction pipe, which end portion is inserted in connection means connecting it to the container 4 through a passage 7C. Said connection means, indicated as a whole 7, comprise a mobile mechanism 7B to which a suction cup 7A is connected. The mobile mechanism 7B is moved manually through pressure exerted by the user onto the push-button 8. Such pressure forces the mobile mechanism 7B to move vertically, together with the suction cup 7A, resulting in a spring 7D being compressed. When the user releases the push-button, the spring force is no longer contrasted and the spring tends to return to its rest position, thereby also returning the mobile mechanism and thus the suction cup to the initial rest position. Fig. 4 shows two conditions of the connection means 7, according to the two possible positions of the pushbutton 8.

In Fig. 4A, wherein the push-button 8 is shown in a first position, i.e. a rest position as it is not pressed by the user, the connection means 7 are in a rest condition; this implies that the spring 7D, not shown in the drawing, is not compressed and therefore the mobile mechanism 7B is fully extended. In Fig. 4B, wherein the push-button 8 is shown in the working position, i.e. the push-button has been pressed by the user, the connection means 7 are in a working condition; this implies that the spring 7D, not shown in the drawing, is compressed and therefore the mobile mechanism 7B is fully compressed.

Fig. 5 shows a simplified diagram of the suction system 2, comprising a suction pump 11 which, through the pipe 13, ending in the shelf 12, and the valve 6, comprised in the lid 5, sucks the air contained within the closed container 4, thereby creating the vacuum condition. Fig. 5 also shows a vacuum gauge 9, which is connected to both the pump 11 and the container 4 through the pipe 13, for monitoring the level of vacuum generated within the container 4. The suction system 2 additionally comprises an electronic control device. The technical features of the present invention are as follows.

In general, the refrigeration apparatus according to the present invention comprises at least a refrigeration cell adapted to house at least one container for food, and also comprises a suction system to generate a vacuum within said container. The cell comprises a shelf incorporating a suction pipe which is coupled with the suction system and which may be coupled with the container to generate a vacuum therein.

In the example of Fig. 1, it is apparent that the door adapted to open and close the refrigeration apparatus, although not shown for simplicity's sake, is applied appropriately in accordance with the structure of the refrigeration apparatus. For an upright refrigeration apparatus (Fig. 1), the door is applied at the side of the cabinet of the apparatus, and opens to the right or to the left with respect to the user's position, depending on the position of the hinges.

The shelf incorporating the suction pipe, according to the example of Fig. 1, is a solid structure typically obtained by moulding plastic material; according to alternative embodiments of the present invention, said shelf may have a grid-like metal structure, which however must be adapted to withstand the weight of the food placed thereon by the user for its preservation at low temperature.

The refrigeration apparatus according to the present invention must comprise a container having the characteristics required for the implementation of the invention. Such a container is typically made of a food-approved plastic material being transparent in order to allow the user to see the food contained therein, as well as being easy to wash. Glass is another material which may be used advantageously for making the containers, for its purity and easy to wash, e.g. by sterilization. However, a glass container is certainly more delicate in everyday use, and is heavier than a plastic container of similar size.

The right container for the present invention also comprises an airtight element to provide an airtight sealing of the container itself. Said airtight sealing is necessary in order to eliminate any slit between the sealing element and the container edges through which air might otherwise enter the container from the outside environment. In fact, food must be protected before placing it in the cell, in order to protect it from bad smells and moisture as well as from other food being present inside the cell; for instance, cooked food goes bad easily, while raw food may be a cause of contamination. The airtight sealing element is a lid advantageously made of a food-approved plastic material, and having the same section as the container to which it is to be coupled (rectangular section container coupled with a rectangular section lid having equivalent size as the container; circular section container coupled with a circular section lid).

The shelf incorporating the suction duct also comprises connection means adapted to connect the same suction duct to the container. Said connection means are adapted to be coupled with the airtight lid of the container, in particular with blocking means of said lid.

The same connection means comprise a suction cup adapted to cling to the lid, in particular to the blocking means. Said suction cup may be made of a rubbery material (such as food- approved rubber or silicone), so as to cling properly to the blocking means during the generation of a vacuum within the container, typically providing an airtight seal. The airtight adherence of the suction cup limits the creation of slits between the mouth of the suction cup and the blocking means of the lid, thereby limiting the possibility of air circulation from the outside environment, i.e. the refrigeration cell. The connection means, shown in Fig. 3, comprise a mobile mechanism adapted to allow said suction cup to move vertically. The body of the mobile mechanism is typically characterized by a rigid structure, e.g. obtained by moulding plastic material. The mobile mechanism is typically connected to the suction cup mechanically, so as to form a single body. As a matter of fact, both elements, i.e. the suction cup and the mobile mechanism, are advantageously joined, for example, by means of a glue (of a type approved for food use), or else through hot- welding techniques. The union of the two elements implies that when either one, e.g. the mobile mechanism, moves vertically, the other element, e.g. the suction cup, moves vertically as well.

The vertical movement of the mobile mechanism is possible due to the fact that the shelf, comprising the connection means, also comprises a push-button operated manually by the user to actuate the mobile mechanism. Said push-button, shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is located on the front side of the shelf, facing the door of the refrigeration apparatus. The push-button can be easily reached by the user when necessary. The push-button is typically connected mechanically to the mobile mechanism, e.g. through a suitable system of levers or through a single element which mechanically connects the push-button to the mobile mechanism. When the user presses the push-button, the leverage is subjected to the action of forces which are transmitted to the mobile mechanism, thereby moving it. The forces are such as to cause a vertical movement of the mobile mechanism, e.g. through a sliding (wedge-shaped) element acting on the body of the mobile mechanism, thereby lifting it from its rest position (Fig. 4B), or through a cam structure which, by means of a set of levers and toothed wheels, allows the transversal movement of the push-button to be transformed into a vertical movement of the movable mechanism. The techniques used for moving an object vertically by applying a horizontal force are known to those skilled in the art and therefore, for simplicity's sake, they are not represented in the annexed drawings. The vertical movement of the mobile element acts on the spring; this movement also causes the suction cup to be lifted, which thus comes closer to the mechanic device, i.e. deeper inside the shelf, which is the subject of the present invention (compare Fig. 4A with Fig. 4B).

This vertical movement allows to free the space occupied by the connection means under the shelf; it is thus possible to obtain sufficient room for fitting a container, of the type shown in Fig. 2, within which the vacuum condition is to be obtained. The vacuum condition within the container is created through a suction system being present in the refrigeration apparatus; the system sucks out the air being present in the container through the blocking means on the container lid. The container and suction system are typically interconnected through a suction duct at least partially housed in the shelf being the subject of the present invention. In order to allow the system to suck air from within the container, the suction duct must be directly or indirectly connected to the container. For instance, a direct connection may be provided by connecting the duct to the suction cup, whereas an indirect connection may be provided by connecting the end portion of the duct to the body of the mobile mechanism.

An example of this latter embodiment is represented in the annexed drawings, wherein the mobile mechanism comprises a seat which houses the end portion of the suction duct. The duct and the seat must be positioned in such a way that the junction between the two elements has no slits through which air might escape during the suction phase of the pump, preventing as a result the proper vacuum condition within the container from being obtained or the air suction system as a whole from operating properly. Therefore, when manufacturing the refrigeration apparatus, the junction between the suction duct and the respective seat may be provided, for instance, through a fixed joint wherein the mouth of the duct inserted in the seat is fastened and sealed by using glue such as silicone. The techniques for airtight coupling two bodies are known to those skilled in the art and therefore, for simplicity's sake, they are neither detailed in this description nor shown in the annexed drawings.

The shelf being the subject of the present invention may advantageously be made at least partially of glass, so as to ensure a higher level of hygiene for food preservation; as a matter of fact, glass tends to hold fewer residues in the roughness of its surface; however, according to a preferred but not limiting embodiment of the present invention, the shelf is made of a plastic material, e.g. through known moulding techniques. Such a material is advantageous in that, for example, it is less subject to breaking when in use and it is certainly lighter than glass, a more economic production allowing a lower selling price. On the shelf, at least one depression is obtained which is adapted to contain food to be preserved in a refrigerated environment, but not under vacuum conditions. Said depression allows to utilize the shelf surface for example for preserving food placed therein in a safe and protected way. In fact, the concavity of the depression allows to place food and/or containers having different size and shape, e.g. roundish food such as salami or whole cheese, without the risk of it rolling off the shelf, e.g. causing slight damages to the refrigeration cell. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the food preserved in the depression is protected against moisture or smells being present inside the refrigeration cell by a lid, made for example of either a plastic material or glass. The presence of a lid also prevents the smells generated by the food placed in the shelf depression from spreading inside the cell. As said, in the lower portion of the shelf being the subject of the present invention there is a suction duct, which is connected on one end to the connection means and on the opposite end to a suction system, schematically represented by way of example in Fig. 5; the pump of the suction system allows, when activated, to suck air from a container located under the shelf and having its blocking means in contact with and connected to the connection means. The refrigeration apparatus having the features described so far may comprise activation means adapted to activate, preferably manually, the suction system for generating a vacuum within said container.

The suction pump is in fact activated by the user after he/she has correctly placed in the appropriate space the container in which he/she wants to obtain the vacuum condition. Once the container has been positioned, the user acts manually on the activation means, which may consist, for example, of a push-button through which an electronic signal for turning on the suction pump is sent, or else, according to another advantageous embodiment, the activation means may consist of a display, being present for example on the outside of the door of the refrigeration apparatus, through which the user sends a command to the suction system and hence to the suction pump, e.g. through the technique commonly known as 'touch screen'. In this way, although the refrigerator door is closed and therefore the user cannot check the position of the container and/or the connection means, the user is guided through the system activation procedure by the display, thereby avoiding, for example, to send commands incorrectly and at the wrong time. Just as the suction system must be activated in order to create the vacuum condition within the container, the suction system must also be deactivated once the desired condition has been created within the container.

This is why deactivation means are advantageously comprised, which are adapted to deactivate the suction system automatically. The deactivation therefore no longer requires a manual action by the user, who would otherwise be forced to stay in front of the refrigerator in order to verify the achievement of the vacuum condition; on the contrary, the suction system is capable of monitoring the vacuum level within the container as well as to deactivate the pump as soon as the desired vacuum condition has been reached.

The suction system may be deactivated by an electromechanical vacuum gauge when the latter detects a preset value of the level of vacuum within the container subjected to this treatment. The deactivation of the suction system takes place as described when the system is operating perfectly, i.e. when the container has been positioned correctly by the user, the connection means abut on the blocking means of the container lid, and the connection means are airtight connected to the blocking elements. Such conditions, in fact, ensure an effective and optimal suction condition, without the pump being forced to operate in an inefficient way. The deactivation system may be adapted to deactivate the suction system after a predetermined delay (e.g. 10 or 20 seconds) from the instant in which the vacuum gauge has signaled that the desired level of vacuum has been reached; this solution offers better guarantees that the vacuum within the container (which is located at a certain distance from the vacuum gauge) is at the desired level. In the event that at least one of the above-listed conditions is not met, the system is capable of, according to the present invention, detecting the deficiency and intervening by deactivating the pump before the latter can, for example, operate for an excessively long time interval, thereby risking to get overheated or even burned. In order to avoid such damage, the refrigeration apparatus according to the present invention may advantageously comprise an electronic control device adapted to deactivate the suction system when a preset time interval has elapsed since its activation. Advantageously, the electronic control system comprises, for instance, a timer or a stopwatch which, when the preset time interval has elapsed, interrupts the operation of the suction pump even if the vacuum gauge has not yet detected the preset level of vacuum within the container. The preset time interval is such as to ensure the achievement of the preset vacuum condition if the system is operating properly; therefore, in the event that the vacuum gauge does not cut off the suction pump although the electronic control device has reached the preset time interval, the system will detect a fault and then it will deactivate the pump. Thus, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electronic control device is adapted to deactivate the suction system in the event that no vacuum is generated within said container. If the suction system is operating properly, the container has been positioned correctly, and the connection means are connected properly to the blocking means, the desired vacuum condition will be obtained within the container. To maintain such a condition, so as to ensure that the food within the container is properly preserved, the container must necessarily remain sealed, so as to prevent air from entering and thus the vacuum condition from being lost even after the connection means has been disconnected from the blocking means.

The blocking means, which allow to maintain the vacuum condition, consist of a valve adapted to keep a vacuum within the container when it is uncoupled from the connection means.

In fact, once the vacuum has been generated, the container can be extracted from its position and advantageously inserted into one of the adjacent positions, which are delimited by suitable separators; in fact, besides comprising a housing adapted to house a container coupled to the connection means, the refrigeration cell also comprises at least one housing adapted to house the container when it is uncoupled from the connection means.

This shifting allows the user, for instance, to generate the same vacuum condition also within another container. Alternately, the container may also be placed in an area of the refrigeration cell being different from the recommended one, which provides optimum conditions of temperature and humidity.

Claims

1. Refrigeration apparatus (1) fitted with at least a refrigeration cell (3) adapted to fit at least a container (4) for food storage, and with a suction system (2) to generate a vacuum within said container (4); characterized in that said cell (3) comprises a shelf (12) incorporating a suction duct (13), which is coupled with said suction system (2) and which may be coupled with said container (4) in order to generate a vacuum within said container (4).

2. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises said container (4).

3. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said container (4) comprises at least an airtight sealing element (5).

4. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said airtight sealing element (5) is a lid.

5. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said shelf (12) comprises connection means (7) adapted to connect said suction duct (13) to said container

(4).

6. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that said connection means (7) are adapted to be coupled with an airtight lid (5) of said container (4), in particular with blocking means (6) of said lid (5).

7. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that said connection means (7) comprise a suction cup (7A) adapted to cling to said lid (5), in particular to said blocking means (6).

8. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that said connection means (7) comprise a mobile mechanism (7B) adapted to allow said suction cup (7A) to move vertically.

9. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that said shelf (12) comprises a push-button (8) to actuate said mobile mechanism (7B) manually.

10. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that said mobile mechanism (7B) comprises a seat (7C) which houses the end portion of said suction duct (13).

11. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that within said shelf (12) at least a depression (14) is obtained, which is adapted to contain food to be preserved in a refrigerated environment but not under vacuum conditions.

12. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises activation means (15) adapted to activate, preferably manually, said suction system (2) for generating a vacuum within said container (4).

13. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises deactivation means (9) adapted to deactivate said suction system (2) automatically.

14. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that said suction system (2) is deactivated by an electromechanical vacuum gauge (9) when said vacuum gauge

(9) detects a preset value of the level of vacuum within said container (4).

15. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that it comprises an electronic control device (10) adapted to deactivate said suction system (2) when a preset time interval has elapsed since the activation of said suction system (2).

16. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 15, wherein said electronic control device

(10) is adapted to deactivate said suction system (13) in the event that no vacuum is generated within said container (4).

17. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that said blocking means (6) consist of a valve adapted to keep a vacuum within said container (4) when uncoupled from said connection means (7).

18. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that said refrigeration cell (3) comprises at least a housing adapted to house said container (4) when the latter is uncoupled from said connection means (7).

19. Refrigeration apparatus (1) according to claim 5 or 18, characterized in that said refrigeration cell (3) comprises a housing adapted to house said container (4) when the latter is coupled with said connection means (7).

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