WO2010060784A1

WO2010060784A1 - Refrigerator having several storage compartments

Info

Publication number: WO2010060784A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/064846
Authority: WO
Inventors: Junhong Feng; Alexander Rupp; Qiwu Zhu; Weizhong Zhu
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2008-11-27
Filing date: 2009-11-09
Publication date: 2010-06-03
Also published as: CN102227602A; RU2011122271A; DE102008044130A1; EP2370760A1; CN102227602B

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigerator comprising at least one first and one second air circuit (4, 6, 10, 1, 12; 4, 6, 10, 15, 14, 16), of which the first (4, 6, 10, 1, 12) runs at least through a first evaporator (4) and a first refrigerator compartment (1) and the second (4, 6, 10, 15, 14, 16) runs at least through the first evaporator (4) and a second refrigerator compartment (14), the target temperature of which is higher than the target temperature of the first refrigerator compartment (4), a first fan (8) for driving the first air circuit and a second fan (22) for driving the second air circuit. A control circuit (18) is arranged to drive the second air circuit by means of the second fan (22) only if the first fan (8) is also in operation.

Description

Refrigerating appliance with several storage compartments

The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, with at least one first and one second refrigeration compartment, which can be cooled to different setpoint temperatures. In particular, it relates to a refrigeration device having a freezer compartment as a first refrigerating compartment, a normal refrigerating compartment and a second refrigerating compartment divided by the normal refrigerating compartment, which can be cooled by cold air supply from the freezer compartment to a lower temperature than the remainder of the standard refrigerating compartment. Such a refrigeration device is known, for example, from US Pat. No. 7,036,334 B2.

To compensate for cold air supplied from the freezer compartment to the second compartment, relatively warm air must flow from there back to the freezer compartment evaporator, which contains relatively much moisture compared to the air in the freezer compartment. The evaporator forms a flow resistance for this air, which causes some of this air to flow into the freezer compartment, bypassing the evaporator. Since the moisture contained in this air condenses in the freezer, a strong frost formation in the freezer is the result. To eliminate this hoop, a user must turn off the freezer, unload and defrost. Frost, which is reflected on the refrigerated goods, must be laboriously removed by hand.

Object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator with at least two communicating and different cold subjects, in which eliminates the risk of increased frost formation in the colder compartment or such Reifbildung is at least substantially reduced.

The object is achieved by the target temperature is higher than that in a refrigeration device with at least a first and a second air circuit, of which the first runs at least over a first evaporator and a first cooling compartment and the second at least over the first evaporator and a second cooling compartment the first cooling compartment, a first fan for driving air circulation in the first air circuit and a second fan for driving air circulation in the second air circuit, a control device is arranged, an air exchange between the first evaporator and the second cooling compartment in the second air circuit by means of the second fan only to drive when the first fan is in operation. As a result of the simultaneous operation of the first fan, reflux of air heated in the second cooling compartment and laden with moisture into the first cooling compartment while bypassing the evaporator can be largely reduced and also completely suppressed with a suitable choice of the performance of the fans. The moist air from the second compartment is forced completely through the evaporator, where the moisture condenses out. Thus, it can not reach the first refrigeration compartment, and it can be removed from the evaporator by defrosting, particularly in the manner known to those skilled in the art of no-frost equipment, without requiring user intervention on the first compartment.

In order not to drive the second air circuit when the first fan is out of operation, it can be provided that the control circuit can only operate the second fan when the first is running. Preferably, however, the second air circuit includes a shut-off member, which makes it possible to suppress the air circulation in the second air circuit, even if the second fan is in operation. A - preferably intermittent - operation of the second fan causes a circulation of the air in the second compartment and thus a homogenization of the temperature distribution therein.

At the shut-off member is preferably provided a heater to prevent freezing.

Since the risk of freezing exists in particular when a closing body of the Absperrglieds applied to a seat, it may be sufficient to operate the heater only when the shut-off member is closed. This considerably improves the energy efficiency of the refrigeration device, since the heat not released by the heater when the shut-off element is open does not have to be dissipated via the evaporator.

The two air circuits may be connected in parallel to each other with the evaporator. Preferably, however, the second cooling circuit extends from the first evaporator via the first cooling compartment to the second cooling compartment, so that the first cooling compartment as a cold reservoir can act, from which even cold enough air can flow into the second compartment when the evaporator itself is out of order.

The first fan may be disposed on a cold portion of the first air circuit, that is, on a portion where air cooled at the first evaporator flows to the first refrigerant compartment.

In this case, the first fan is preferably operable at at least as high a flow rate as the second fan so as to be able to completely suck the air flow conveyed therefrom through the first evaporator when the second fan is in operation.

Alternatively, the first fan can also be arranged in a warm section of the first air circuit, that is to say a section which extends from the first cooling compartment back to the evaporator.

In the latter case, when the second fan is turned on, the first fan is optionally at a low power, which is only sufficient to suppress a flow of non-evaporator cooled and dried air through the hot section to the first compartment, or with a operable to drive beyond the suppression effect nor a flow of air through the warm section to the evaporator.

An operation of the first fan with the low power is particularly useful when only in the second compartment cooling demand is detected. The evaporator may be out of service at such time as the first compartment may serve as a cold reservoir for cooling the second compartment. An operation of the first fan with the high power is particularly suitable when there is a need for cooling in both compartments and the evaporator is in operation.

To take into account by the operation of the first fan variable pressure conditions in the compartments of the refrigerator, it can be provided that when the second fan is turned on, it is operated at a high power, if at the same time the first fan is turned on, and he a low power is operated when the first fan is turned off. The difference between the two powers of the second fan is suitably dimensioned to compensate for the pressure variations resulting from the operation of the first fan and to make the air flow rate of the second circuit substantially independent of the operation of the first fan.

Preferably, the control circuit is further configured to turn on the first fan each with a delay after the compressor is turned on to prevent warm, moist air from passing through the evaporator into the first compartment from the second compartment without being cooled and dehumidified at the evaporator ,

To account for a delay with which the obturator responds to the receipt of an opening command from the control circuit, the latter is preferably arranged to send the opening command to the obturator upon detection of cooling demand, only to delay the second ventilator after transmission of the To turn on the command.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.

Fig. 1 and

2 each show schematically components of a refrigeration device according to the invention.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the invention. It is a device in side-by-side construction, in which a freezer compartment 1 and a normal refrigeration compartment 2 are arranged side by side and separated by an insulating partition wall 3. Each of the two compartments 1, 2 is associated with an evaporator 4 or 5 in an evaporator chamber 6 and 7, respectively. At the output of each evaporator chamber 6, 7, a fan 8 and 9 is arranged, the air from the respective evaporator chamber 6, 7 via a cold line 10 and 11 pumps in the compartment 1 and 2 respectively. Warm lines 12, 13, ie lines in which relatively warm air flows, run from the compartments 1, 2 back to the evaporator chambers 6, 7th

In a lower region of the normal cooling compartment 2, a temperature-controllable drawer 14 is partitioned off. The drawer 14 communicates via a passage 15 in the partition wall 3 with the freezer compartment 1. A hot line 16 leads from the drawer 14 in an upstream half of the evaporator chamber 6. The passage 15 is closed by a flap 17, an unillustrated actuator for opening and closing the flap 17 is controlled by a control circuit 18 which is also connected to temperature sensors 19, 20, 21 in the freezer compartment 1, the normal refrigeration compartment 2 and the temperature-controlled drawer 14. A fan 22 is disposed in the drawer 14 adjacent to the passageway 15 so that it can suck in air from the freezer compartment 1 with the door 17 open and pump it into the drawer 14. With the flap 17 closed, air can be circulated within the drawer 14 by operation of the fan 22.

The control circuit 18 compares the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 19, 20, 21 with set desired temperatures of the compartments 1, 2 or of the drawer 14.

If no significant exceeding of a set temperature is detected, a (not shown) compressor of the refrigerator is switched off, and in any of the evaporator 4, 5 circulates refrigerant. The flap 17 is closed, and an electric heater mounted in a seat in the passage 15 against which the closed flap 17 is applied is energized by the control circuit 18 to prevent the flap from freezing. The heating power required for this depends on the temperatures in the freezer compartment 1 and the drawer 14; In order to minimize the heat input, the current at which the control circuit 18 supplies the heater is clocked at a duty cycle predetermined as a function of the temperatures of the freezer compartment 1 and drawer 14. The fans 8, 9, 22 are switched off.

When the temperature sensor 19 notifies cooling demand in the freezer compartment 1, the control circuit 18 first sets the compressor in motion to pressurize the evaporator 4 with refrigerant. This leads to a certain delay to cool After this delay, the control circuit 18 sets the fan 8 in motion, so that cold air via the line 10 to the freezer compartment 1 and warmer air via the line 12 flows back to the evaporator chamber 6. If not at the same time in the drawer 14 cooling demand is detected, the flap 17 is closed, so that circulates through the passage 15, the drawer 14 and the line 16 no air.

If desired, the fan 22 can be operated intermittently in this state to bring the air in the drawer 14 to bring. Since no air can flow into the drawer 14 because of the closed flap 17, no air flow through the line 16 to the evaporator chamber 6 results from the operation of the fan 22.

If, at a time when refrigeration demand is detected in the freezer compartment 1, the flap 17 is open, the control circuit 18 first sends a closing command to the flap 17 and waits at least the time required to close the flap 17 before the fan 8 in Gang sets.

When the sensor 21 indicates cooling demand in the drawer 14, while the evaporator 4 and the fan 8 are in operation to cool the freezer compartment 1, the control circuit 18 first sends an opening command to the flap 17. Since the door 17 is open no risk of Freezing, the heating of the flap is switched off after opening. After the lapse of the time required to open the flap 17, the fan 22 is set in motion, and an air flow from the freezer 1 via the drawer 14 and the line 16 to the evaporator chamber 6 begins. The power of the fans 8, 22 and the flow resistances of the conduits 12, 16 are sized to ensure that the air flow through the drawer 14 does not become greater than that in the conduit 10. Thus, a reflux of relatively humid, warm air into the Freezer compartment 1 via the line 12 excluded.

When cooling demand is detected in the drawer 14, but not in the freezer 1, it is not absolutely necessary that the evaporator 4 is in operation. As long as it is even cooler than the freezer compartment 1 from an earlier operating phase, this is sufficient to dehumidify air flowing from the drawer 14. Around To ensure that the air from the drawer 14 completely takes the path through the evaporator 4, the fan 8 is turned on in this state.

The control circuit 18 can be designed to defrost the evaporator 4 at regular intervals, or it can be provided on the evaporator 4, a per se known ice detector to trigger a defrost always whenever a critical amount of ice has deposited on the evaporator 4. For defrosting, the control circuit 18 sets an electric heater (not shown) on the evaporator 4 in operation and switches off the fans 8, 22 in order to minimize the heat input from the evaporator compartment 6 into the freezer compartment 1.

Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of the refrigerator according to the invention. It differs from the first embodiment essentially by the placement of the fan 8 in front of the entrance of the evaporator chamber 6 instead of at the output. The evaporator chamber 7 is not shown for simplicity, since it is not essential to the understanding of the invention. From the changed placement of the fan 8 results in different pressure conditions between freezer compartment 1, drawer 14 and evaporator chamber 6, when one or the other of the fans 8, 22 is in operation. Thus, in the embodiment of Fig. 2, the operation of the fan 8 leads to an increase in pressure in the evaporator chamber 6 upstream of the evaporator 4. If at the same time the fan 22 is in operation, he must work against this increased pressure, therefore, the control circuit 18 operates the fan 22 in the case that cooling demand in the freezer compartment 1 and the drawer 14 is made and both fans 8, 22 are in operation, with a higher power than when there is only in the drawer 14 cooling demand.

In addition, the fan 8 is operated at cooling demand only in the drawer 14 with a non-vanishing, but low power, which is just sufficient to compensate for a caused by the influx of air through the line 16 overpressure at the entrance of the evaporator chamber 6 and an air flow through the To suppress line 20 in the direction of the freezer compartment 1.

Claims

claims

1. Refrigerating appliance, in particular household refrigerating appliance, with at least one first and one second air circuit (4, 6, 10, 1, 12, 4, 6, 10, 15, 14, 16), of which the first (4, 6, 10, 1, 12) at least via a first evaporator (4) and a first cooling compartment (1) and the second (4, 6, 10, 15, 14, 16) at least over the first evaporator (4) and a second cooling compartment (14) runs whose set temperature is higher than that of the first cooling compartment (4), a first fan (8) for driving air circulation in the first air circuit and a second fan (22) for driving air circulation in the second air circuit, characterized in that a control circuit ( 18) is arranged to only drive an air exchange between the first evaporator (4) and the second cooling compartment (14) in the second air circuit by means of the second fan (22), even if the first fan (8) is in operation.

2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the second air circuit (4, 6, 10, 15, 14, 16) includes a shut-off member (17) which makes it possible to operate the second fan (22) without an exchange of air between the first evaporator (4) and the second cooling compartment (14) to drive.

3. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that the shut-off member

(17) a heater is provided.

4. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that the control circuit

(18) is set up to operate the heater only when the shut-off member (17) is closed.

5. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second air circuit (4, 6, 10, 15, 14, 16) from the first

Evaporator (4) via the first cooling compartment (1) to the second cooling compartment (14).

6. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that the first fan

(8) on one of the first evaporator (4) to the first cooling compartment (1) extending cold section (10) of the first air circuit (4, 6, 10, 1, 12) is arranged.

7. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the first fan (8) with at least as high throughput as the second fan

(22) is operable.

8. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that the first fan (8) on a from the first cooling compartment (1) to the evaporator (4) extending warm section (12) of the first air circuit (4, 6, 10, 1, 12) is arranged.

9. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that when the second fan (22) is turned on, the first fan (8) is selectively operable at a low power to flow through the warm section (12) to the first compartment (1 ), or is operable at a high power to drive a flow through the hot section (12) to the evaporator (4).

10. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 9, characterized in that when the second fan (22) is turned on, it is operated at a high power, if at the same time the first fan (8) is turned on, and is operated at a low power when the first fan (8) is switched off.

11. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control circuit (18) is arranged, the first

Switch on fan (8) with a delay after switching on the compressor.

12. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, as far as dependent on claim 2, characterized in that the control circuit (18) is set, upon detection of cooling demand in the second compartment (14) the second fan (22) with a delay after sending a Opening command to the shut-off (17) turn on.

13. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second compartment (14) with a third compartment (2) is in thermal contact, which is cooled by a second evaporator (5) to a target temperature which is higher than that Target temperature of the second compartment (14).