WO2009000638A1

WO2009000638A1 - Refrigeration device

Info

Publication number: WO2009000638A1
Application number: PCT/EP2008/057187
Authority: WO
Inventors: Athanasios Athanasiou
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2007-06-25
Filing date: 2008-06-10
Publication date: 2008-12-31
Also published as: EP2160557A1; CN101688751B; DE102007029188A1; CN101688751A

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigeration device (1) with an insulated interior, with a housing, and a door (2, 3) closing off the interior, with a control system, and with at least one lamp (6) on the outer side of the refrigerator. According to the invention, at least one lamp (6) can be switched on or off by the control system.

Description

The refrigerator

The invention relates to a refrigerator according to the preamble of claim 1.

Manufacturers of modern refrigeration appliances strive to develop ever more energy-efficient refrigeration appliances. To achieve this energy efficiency, electronic controls are predominantly used today. They are able to evaluate the parameters recorded by individual sensors and optimally orient the sequence program of the refrigeration device. An example of this is the defrost program for an evaporator of a refrigeration appliance operated with refrigerant, which no longer defrosts the ice layer which forms on the evaporator during operation, but only when the ice layer has reached a certain thickness. The electrical, electronic and mechanical components are thus optimized to be able to operate a refrigerator with less and less energy.

On the other hand, there is the desire of the user for more and more comfort that modern refrigeration appliances should offer. This partially counteracts the desire for the lowest possible use of energy, since in turn additional energy consumption may be required for comfort. Thus, the user not only wants to be able to choose different parameters of the refrigeration device himself - for example, the preselection of the temperature of the cold room is called here - but also to know as precisely as possible about the parameters changed or set by him. For this purpose, display elements are attached to high-priced refrigerators on the front, which provide information about operating conditions, for example, on the prevailing in the refrigerator and / or freezer compartment temperature or -. For example, in refrigerators with water connection - an indication of when the water filter is to be changed. In most cases, the control elements are also located near the display elements, via which the settings can be made. So that the operating parameters on the corresponding display elements can be read well even in sunlight, display elements which have a high contrast between the display and the background are used for this purpose. Common are backlit liquid crystal displays and increasingly self-luminous display elements. Especially with the higher quality models, the controls are also illuminated.

There are also known refrigerators, which have on its front side via a discharge point for cooled water - a so-called water dispenser. Similar tapping points have already been introduced for cube-shaped ice or already crushed ice. In part, the tapping points are illuminated by outdoor lights for reasons of comfort. The bulbs of these outdoor lights are usually switched on and off via a light switch.

If, for example, a user wants to fill two glasses with water at night and carries a glass to be filled in each hand, problems arise when operating the light switch. After filling the two glasses, there are even greater difficulties when switching off the lighting. In such cases, therefore, usually the light is not turned off, but is operated continuously for convenience. In other cases, switching off is simply forgotten. However, such action has a negative effect on the energy balance of the refrigerator.

The invention has the object of providing a refrigerator with a light source on its outside in such a way that in the operation or use of the refrigerator even in the dark, a high level of comfort is ensured, but the energy balance is not affected unacceptably.

The object is achieved according to the invention by a refrigeration device with the features of claim 1. By switching the light source via the controller, it is possible to intelligently handle the switching on and off of the light source by different parameters are used for a switching decision. On In this way, the need for comfort can be met, while the use of energy remains efficient.

For example, the controller may be constructed so that the light source after switching on over a certain period of time becomes brighter, until it finally reaches its preset brightness. This leads just in the dark, when the eyes of the user are very sensitive to light, that the eyes can get used to the gradual onset of brightness and are not dazzled by a spontaneous onset of light. This control is perceived by a user as very comfortable.

By using the control, similar things can be realized for the turn-off operation. Here, the illuminant is continuously less energy supplied over a certain period of time, so that the light source, starting from its output brightness, is getting darker until it goes out completely.

In one application example, the lighting means is provided for illuminating a display and / or operating element. The illuminant is preferably used here as a backlight for liquid crystal display elements. In another application example controls are provided in the form of rotary or pressure switches. These controls can be made partially transparent, so that the light of a glow lamp or an LED mounted behind it can be seen through the transparent areas and make the control easily recognizable. Both display and controls are well readable and operable even at high and low ambient brightness.

In a particular embodiment, the lamp itself is designed as a display element. One type of such display elements are referred to as so-called OLEDs. Here, organic compounds are illuminated by applying an electrical voltage. When using OLEDs, no additional backlighting of the display is required. OLEDs are therefore in their Energy consumption very economical.

In a further embodiment, the lighting means is designed as a lamp. In this case, neither the display nor the control elements need to be illuminated, since the light of the luminaire illuminates these elements accordingly and makes them recognizable to the user.

Preferably, the controller is connected to a sensor and the at least one lighting means is switched in response to the signals of the sensor. In particular, can be determined by the sensor when light is needed, so that the bulb is turned on only in this case. If no light is needed, the light source can be switched off.

Light is always needed when a person wants to use the refrigeration device. It therefore makes sense to use a sensor that is capable of detecting a person who is in front of the refrigerator in a certain area. Only then is the light switched on by the controller. In the remaining time, the light source can remain switched off without the user having to accept any loss of comfort. This applies to both a light and for the lighting of the display and / or controls. This procedure saves energy.

In a preferred embodiment, the sensor is designed as a motion sensor and attached to the outside of the refrigerator. As soon as the user comes close to the refrigeration device, the sensor detects its movements and the controller switches on the light source. The illuminated display and / or controls are easily visible by the user and he can either control the settings on the display elements and / or change the operating parameters of the refrigerator via the illuminated controls. As soon as the user has moved far enough away from the refrigeration device, no movement is detected by the motion sensor and the controller switches off the illuminant. To further increase the comfort of using a motion detector as a sensor increase, it can be provided that the user can set the threshold from which distance the motion detector should detect the movements of the user himself.

It could now happen the unlikely event that a person persists for a long time in front of the refrigerator without moving. In this case, the motion sensor would detect no movement and the controller would turn off the bulb again. In a further embodiment, therefore, the sensor is designed as a proximity switch. In contrast to the motion sensor alone, the presence of the user in the effective range of the proximity sensor is sufficient that this turns on the light source.

In a very simple embodiment, the proximity switch is designed as a light barrier. As soon as a user interrupts the light beam between emitter and receiver, the controller switches on the light source. Now, as in the above embodiment, the user can control the settings of the operating parameters on the basis of the illuminated display elements or change operating parameters by means of the operating elements. After the user has moved away from the area of the light barrier, the light beam hits the receiver of the light barrier again. The photocell then causes the controller to turn off the bulb.

In an advantageous manner, the control switches off the at least one light-emitting means with a time delay, for example when the user moves out of the detection range of the sensor. In this case, the sensor detects a change that causes the controller to turn off the lamp after a certain delay time. Especially in dark rooms, an immediate switch off could lead to the user suddenly not seeing anything and thus exposing himself to an increased risk of accident. The possibility of the delayed switching off of the lamp minimizes this risk of accident and offers the user increased comfort. Preferably, the controller is designed so that the delay time can be set by the user himself. The use of the control for switching the light source also makes it possible to regulate the brightness of the light source. So it may make sense that the brightness of the bulb is adapted to the ambient brightness. At a lower ambient brightness, the photosensitivity of a user's eyes is normally increased, so that a low brightness of the illuminant is sufficient and would rather disturb, if not dazzle, a high brightness. A less bright bulb uses less energy than the same bulb that needs to be lit at maximum brightness. Thus, this measure, in addition to the comfort gain, even save energy.

In a particular embodiment, the controller has a timing switch which switches the at least one light-emitting means at preset intervals. As a result, the switch-on time can be set, for example, to a day-night rhythm. The bulb would burn in this example, only at night, so when the need is given by the darkness. However, the time intervals could also be set so that the light source remains switched off in the period in which the refrigerator is not normally used. Ideally, however, the time switch is coupled with a sensor, as this can save the largest amount of energy. This allows the controller to be switched in such a way that the sensor reacts only in the night, ie when lighting is required. This means that a person can approach the refrigeration device during the day without the light source being switched on. However, if the person approaches at night, the sensor reacts and switches on the light source.

In another embodiment, the controller is connected to a brightness sensor. In its simplest form, this sensor, which is often referred to as a twilight switch, measures the ambient brightness and the control switches on the light source accordingly at low ambient brightness or at high ambient brightness. In an improved embodiment, the brightness of the lamp is still adapted to the measured ambient brightness. It is preferred worked here with a threshold at which the bulb is switched on or off. Even more advantageous is the use of the brightness sensor in conjunction with a sensor capable of detecting a person. In such equipped refrigeration device, the lamp is actually only turned on when the ambient brightness requires it and when a person is determined who wants to use the refrigerator. In addition, the light source is always switched with adjusted brightness. This variant therefore not only brings the greatest energy savings, but also the highest comfort.

In a preferred embodiment, the refrigeration device has a removal station, which is usually provided in the door of the refrigerator and offers the opportunity to remove something from the refrigerator without having to open the door. The fact that the refrigerator door can remain closed during the removal, it comes to a much lower heat input into the cooled interior and thus to an energy saving. The sampling station is illuminated by a light which is switched by the controller as described above.

Such removal stations have become known for different goods. For example, crushed ice can be directly filled into a cocktail glass by means of a corresponding removal station. The user saves doing a few things, such as opening the door of the refrigerator, removing the ice-filled container from the icemaker in the interior of the refrigerator and the manual filling of ice into the glass.

Preferably, the removal station is designed as a water dispenser. Since water is drunk very often and usually well chilled, a water bottle would very often have to be removed from the refrigeration device and put back into the refrigeration device after filling a glass. For this, the refrigerator door would have to be opened very often, which would lead to an enormous heat input into the refrigerator. The water dispenser can be used to fill chilled water directly into a glass without opening the refrigerator door. Further details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the subclaims in connection with the description of an embodiment which is explained in detail with reference to the drawing.

It shows:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows an inventive refrigeration device 1, which is designed here as a refrigerator-freezer. Here, the left door 2 limits the refrigerator compartment and the right door 3 the freezer compartment. In the left door 2, an externally accessible water dispenser 4 for cooled water is arranged so that it can be conveniently operated by a user. In the water dispenser 4, a light 6 is mounted next to a motion sensor 5. Below a water outlet 7 is a vessel 8 for receiving the cooled water, which emerges from the water outlet 7. Above the water dispenser 4 are illuminated controls 9 for operating the water dispenser. 4

Also in the door 2 is an accessible from the front display element 10 is arranged, which divides into two backlit display panels 11, in which digits, numbers and special characters are displayed. On the left and right of the display element 10 illuminable controls 12 for setting and changing operating parameters of the refrigeration device 1 are formed.

As the user approaches the refrigerator / freezer, this is detected by the motion sensor 5. The motion sensor 5 sends a signal to the controller not visible here and the lamp 6 is turned on. In addition, the controller turns on the backlight of the display panels 11 and the lighting of the controls 9, 12 a. Now the user can conveniently control the operating parameters of the refrigeration device 1 via the display element 10 and / or the Change operating parameters via the controls 12. The user can also place a vessel 8 under the water outlet 7 of the water dispenser 4, fill this vessel 8 with cooled water by actuating the operating elements 9 and remove the filled vessel 8 from the water dispenser 4. If the user has moved so far away from the refrigeration device 1 that the motion sensor 4 no longer detects the person, the light 6 and the illumination of the display fields 11 and the operating elements 9, 12 are switched off.

Since the lamp 6 and the illumination of the display panels 11 and the controls 9, 12 is only supplied energy when the motion sensor 5 detects that a person is in the vicinity of the refrigerator 1, energy is saved for the periods in which the user is out of range of the motion sensor 5.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 cold appliance

2 left door

3 right door

4 water dispensers

5 motion sensor

6 light

7 water outlet

8 vessel

9 Control elements of the water dispenser

10 display element

11 display field

12 Controls for changing the operating parameters

Claims

claims

Characterized in that the at least one Illuminant (6) can be switched by the controller.

2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the lighting means for illuminating a display (10) and / or operating element (9, 12) is provided.

3. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that the lighting means is designed as a self-luminous display (10).

4. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the lighting means is designed as a light (6).

5. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the controller is connected to a sensor (5) and the at least one lighting means (6) in response to the signals of the sensor (5) switches.

6. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that the controller turns on the lighting means (6) when a person is detected by the sensor (5).

7. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the sensor (5) is designed as a motion detector.

8. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the sensor (5) as Proximity switch is formed.

9. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that the sensor (5) is designed as a light barrier.

10. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the control switches off the at least one lighting means (6) with a time delay when a change in the signals of the sensor (5) is detected.

11. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the controller has a timer, which switches the at least one lighting means (6) at preset intervals.

12. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that a brightness sensor is connected to the controller.

13. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that on the outside of a removal station (4) is provided, which is illuminated by the lamp (6).

14. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 13, characterized in that the removal station is designed as a water dispenser (4).