WO2011128815A1

WO2011128815A1 - Refrigerating apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2011128815A1
Application number: PCT/IB2011/051488
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paolo Faraldi; Monica Milani; Stefano Palmeto; Stefano Frattesi; Paola Rossi; Duccio Gualtiero Giovanni Mauri; Mark William Salerno; Natalia Ausin Diez; Maria Rocio Trigo Mendez; Ryan Thomas Carter
Original assignee: Indesit Company S.P.A.
Priority date: 2010-04-14
Filing date: 2011-04-06
Publication date: 2011-10-20
Also published as: EP2558802A1; ITTO20100303A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerating apparatus (1,10,100) comprising at least a first chamber (3,30,300) and a second chamber (4,40,400) operating at different temperatures, said first chamber (3,30,300) being a freezer chamber and said second chamber (4,40,400) being a defreezer chamber, wherein said first (3,30,300) and said second (4,40,400) chambers are adjacent to each other and are separated by at least one movable thermoinsulating wall (5,50,500), and further comprising moving means for moving a product at least from the first chamber (3,30,300) to the second chamber (4,40,400). The present invention also relates to a refrigerating apparatus comprising a device (D) for preparing vegetables or the like, comprising: - an upper compartment (51), - a rotatable lower compartment (52), said upper compartment (51) lying on top of said lower compartment (52), - a water dispenser arranged on the upper compartment (51), - a piston (55) vertically movable inside the upper compartment (51), - a passage between the upper compartment (51) and the lower compartment (52), wherein said passage can be closed by a removable bottom wall and intercepted by at least one rotary blade (56), - a grid (57) arranged horizontally over a bottom wall of said lower compartment (52).

Description

"REFRIGERATING APPARATUS"

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a refrigerating apparatus according to the preamble of the first claim appended hereto.

Prior-art refrigerating apparatuses often comprise a plurality of refrigerated cells or chambers operating at different temperatures.

When a user wants to move a product stored in the refrigerating apparatus from one cell to another, e.g. from the freezer to the refrigerator, he/she must necessarily open the door of the refrigerating apparatus in order to gain access to the cells, thus causing the temperature therein to rise due to the air exchanged with the outside environment.

This implies a first drawback, in that, after having been opened, a cell must be brought again to the preset storage temperature, resulting in wasted energy.

This problem is especially perceived when the cell being opened is a freezer cell, where products are typically preserved at a temperature of -12°C or lower, and where restoring the proper temperature conditions requires more energy.

Another problem of known household refrigerating apparatuses arises when a user must, for example, unfreeze a food, or more in general a product, so that it can be used.

As a matter of fact, the user will first have to open the freezer cell where the food is stored, remove the product from the freezer and put it in a suitable place, keeping it there until it is unfrozen (all this must be done a few hours before meal time).

Thus, additional space must be exclusively used for letting the product unfreeze, if this is done naturally by exposing the product to ambient temperature.

Otherwise, when there is no such additional space or when the user has not taken out the products in time, other household appliances must necessarily be used for defreezing the products, such as an oven.

Another drawback adding to those listed above arises when the user is not where the refrigerating apparatus is located and wants to defreeze a food to be eaten when he/she comes back home.

In this case, in order to do this the user will have to wait to be able to physically gain access to the refrigerating apparatus.

It is a first object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks by providing a refrigerating apparatus as set out in the appended claim 1.

The present invention is based on the idea of providing a refrigerating apparatus comprising at least a first chamber and a second chamber operating at different temperatures, wherein the two chambers are adjacent to each other and are separated by at least one movable thermoinsulating wall, and wherein the apparatus comprises moving means for moving a product at least from the first chamber to the second chamber.

In this way it is possible to move products between the two chambers operating at different temperatures without having to open the doors of the refrigerating apparatus, by using the moving means to transfer the product from one chamber to the other through the movable wall.

Also advantageously, one of the two chambers is a freezer cell and the other one is a defreezer cell, which allows the user to let the foods unfreeze inside the refrigerating apparatus itself, without having to use other kitchen cabinets.

The moving means may be servo-assisted and remotely controllable, e.g. through an Internet connection, a mobile telephone or the like, thus allowing the user to defreeze a product even when he/she is distant from the refrigerating apparatus.

These features as well as further advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof as shown in the annexed drawings, which are supplied by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a refrigerating apparatus according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows two cells of the refrigerating apparatus of Fig. 1 separated by a movable thermoinsulating wall;

Fig. 3 shows a detail of the movable wall of Fig. 2 in three different operating conditions; Fig. 4 shows a first type of food container that may be associated with the movable wall of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the container of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the container of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 shows a detail of the container of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 shows a second type of food container that may be associated with the movable wall of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the container of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 shows a third type of food container that may be associated with the movable wall of Fig. 3;

Fig. 11 shows a variant of the refrigerating apparatus according to the present invention; Fig. 12 shows the variant of Fig. 11 in a different operating condition;

Fig. 13 shows a first alternative embodiment of the variant of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 shows a second alternative embodiment of the variant of Fig. 11;

Fig. 15 shows a modular refrigerating apparatus according to the present invention;

Figs. 16-18 show a module for the refrigerating apparatus of Fig. 15.

Referring now to Figs. 1-3, there is shown a refrigerating apparatus 1 equipped with refrigerated cells which are kept at refrigerator temperature, which is normally around 3 or 4°C, and at freezer temperature, which is normally -12°C or lower, preferably -18°C; the refrigerating apparatus 1 is preferably of the so-called "no-frost" type, wherein cell cooling is provided by air conveyed by fans into thermal exchange contact with a cooling coil and then delivered into the refrigerated cells.

Said refrigerating apparatus comprises at least one refrigerator compartment and one freezer compartment.

The refrigerator compartment may comprise internally a separator element which can be positioned at different heights to implement an energy saving functionality in the presence of a smaller load than the rated one, said functionality following the teachings of patent application EP2182310.

More specifically, the door 2 on the front side of the refrigerating apparatus 1 allows access to the region of the latter shown in detail in Fig. 2.

In this region there are a first chamber 3 and a second chamber 4, separated by a movable thermoinsulating wall 5.

The two chambers are kept at different operating temperatures; preferably, the chamber 3 is a freezer cell, and is therefore kept at a temperature equal to or lower than

-12°C, preferably equal to or lower than -18°C, whereas the second chamber 4 is a defreezer chamber, and is therefore kept at higher temperatures ranging between 5°C and 60°C, preferably between 25°C and 40°C.

The temperature in the first chamber 3 can be maintained through the cooling system of the refrigerating apparatus 1, whereas the temperature in the second chamber 4 can be adjusted by means of an adjustment system which comprises temperature sensors, a control unit, ducts opening into the outside environment, cooling ducts and possibly also electric heating resistors.

Depending on user or factory settings and on the temperature detected in the chamber 4 by the temperature sensors, the adjustment system control unit keeps the chamber 4 at temperatures suitable for defreezing foods, from time to time activating the various temperature adjustment devices as necessary, such as electric heating resistors (which can raise the temperature in the chamber 4 up to 60°C) arranged in neighbouring locations with respect to the second chamber 4, but with the least possible interference with the first chamber 3.

The wall 5 is thermo insulating because it must allow the temperature difference between the adjacent chambers 3 and 4 to be maintained without wasting energy.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, there are shown the moving means that allow moving a product from the first chamber to the second chamber without the second chamber being exposed to the outside environment.

In this example, said moving means have a number of specific features.

First of all, both chambers 3 and 4 are housed in a drawer 6, which can be extracted wholly or partially from the cabinet 7 of the refrigerating apparatus 1.

The freezer chamber 3 (or in general the one of the two chambers 3 and 4 which is kept at a lower temperature) is farther away from the door 2, which in this example constitutes the front wall of the drawer 6.

This feature allows the user to gain access to the chamber 4 (at a higher temperature) without necessarily having to open the chamber 3 to the outside environment (at a lower temperature): when the drawer 6 is extracted partially, in fact, the front chamber 4 opens to the outside environment, but the rear chamber 3 stays inserted in the cabinet 7 without getting in contact with the air of the outside environment, which is normally warmer and more humid.

For this purpose, retaining means may be provided which can be deactivated by the user and which stop the movement of the drawer 6 in a position where only the chamber 4 is outside the volume of the refrigerating apparatus 1.

Secondly, the moving means comprise the thermoinsulating wall 5 itself, which is shaped like an "L", as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and is rotatable about a horizontal axis coinciding with a rotation pin 8 adjacent to the bottom of the drawer 6.

The movable wall 5 extends at least partly horizontally and constitutes at least a portion of the bottom of the first chamber 3 or the second chamber 4, depending on its position.

The movable wall 5 comprises two perpendicular branches having the same length, between which a product container 3 can be housed, so that said container 9 can be transferred from the first chamber 3 to the second chamber 4 when the wall 5 is turned.

The containers 9 can be removably associated, through suitable housings, with the wall 5 between its two perpendicular branches, so that the container 9 can be brought from the first chamber 3 to the second chamber 4 (and vice versa) simply by turning the wall 5 about its horizontal axis.

Thus, to move a product from the first freezer chamber 3 to the second defreezer chamber 4 without exposing the former to environmental air, it is sufficient to partially extract the drawer 6 to expose the second chamber 4 and then act upon the wall 5 to rotate it: in this way, the container 9 rotates from the first chamber 3 to the second chamber 4, where it can be left to unfreeze without taking up space in other kitchen cabinets.

According to one extremely advantageous feature, the wall 5 is moved automatically, e.g. by means of an electric motor selectively acting upon the pin 8 and controllable from a suitable interface or remotely through a data connection line (whether wired or wireless): the user can thus control the rotation of the wall 5 (and hence the movement of the product containers 9) by operating the interface or a remote control terminal even without physically accessing the apparatus 1 and without opening the drawer 6.

Said remote control terminal may be a portable telephone, a computer or the like, or, more simply, a control interface arranged externally to the apparatus 1, e.g. on the cabinet 7 thereof.

As regards the wall 5 and the containers 9 associable therewith, reference will now be made to Fig. 3: as can be seen, the wall 5 is subdivided into a plurality of vertical sectors 5 A, 5B, 5C, each rotatable independently of the adjacent one.

Each vertical sector 5A, 5B, 5C is also shaped like an "L" and is associated with a respective container 9A, 9B, 9C.

The user thus can, either manually or in a servo-assisted manner, select the container to be moved from the first chamber 3 to the second chamber 4 (or vice versa), while leaving the positions of the other containers unchanged, simply by acting upon the vertical sector 5A, 5B, 5C associated with the container 9A, 9B, 9C that contains the product to be moved. An example of such an operating situation is shown in Fig. 3 in its different actuation steps: from an initial condition wherein all containers are positioned on the same side of the wall 5, turning the vertical sector 5C leads to a condition wherein the container 9C is positioned on the opposite side with respect to the other containers.

Advantageously, along the edges of each vertical sector 5A, 5B, 5C there are gaskets the function of which is to prevent or limit heat losses to the adjacent vertical sector and upwards.

In this case the pin is articulated, and even only portions thereof, corresponding to respective containers, can be rotated.

As an alternative, each container is associated with the pin through a hinge, so that it can be turned while leaving the positions of the other containers unchanged.

As far as the containers 9 are concerned, they can be of different typologies 9', 9" e 9" ', as shown by way of example in Figs. 4-10.

More in detail, Figs. 4-7 show a first typology 9' which is particularly suited to containing solid products, such as meat or fish portions.

The container 9' comprises side walls 91 made of food-grade silicone which are secured to a perimetral frame 92, e.g. made of rigid plastic.

The side walls 91 may be elastic to allow the container to be filled with solid food which is then kept compressed between the walls, thus preventing it from accumulating by gravity on the bottom of the container 9' when it is not yet frozen.

The perimetral frame 92 is made up of two symmetrical halves, each associated with a corresponding side wall 91, which can be closed one onto the other so that the container 9' can be opened by simply separating the two halves.

A different typology 9", shown in Figs. 8 and 9, is particularly suitable for liquid foods. In this case, the container 9" comprises a support box 93 that houses removable containers 94, which can be closed with a cover so that they can be filled with a liquid and left to freeze.

A third container typology 9" ', suitable in general for various types of food, is the one shown in Fig. 10: it comprises a box 95 which can be closed by a horizontally-pivoted cover 96.

Figs. 11 and 12 show a detail of a variant 10 of the refrigerating apparatus.

In this case, the first chamber 30 is arranged on top of the second chamber 40, and the two chambers are separated by the movable thermo insulating wall 50, which separates the first chamber 30 horizontally from the second chamber 40 and which is rotatable about at least one horizontal axis when pushed downwards by the weight of a container 90, so as to allow the latter to pass from the first chamber 30 to the second chamber 40.

In particular, the movable wall 50 forms at least a portion of the bottom of the first chamber 30 and is separated into two parts, each secured to an inner wall of the refrigerating apparatus and rotatable about a horizontal axis, so that it can be opened downwards like a trap door, i.e. towards the second chamber 40, as shown in Fig. 12.

The characteristics relating to the operating temperatures (as well as to the obtainment and maintenance thereof) of the first 30 and second 40 chambers, are similar to those of the chambers 3 and 4 of the above-described example and will not therefore be discussed any further.

The products (or foods) preserved in the first chamber 30 are contained in containers 90 which can be removably secured to one of the inner walls of the first chamber 30, in particular to the top wall of the first chamber 30.

For example, this removable fixing takes place by means of permanent magnets placed on the container 90, which cooperate with electromagnetic bases arranged on the inner wall of the first chamber 30: when the electromagnetic base is de-energized, the magnetic attraction force that holds the container 90 against the vertical wall is lost; the container 90 will then fall by gravity onto the movable wall 50 and, due to its weight, will cause it to open towards the second chamber 40 and let the container 90 fall into the latter.

To this end, the movable wall may be provided with elastic elements, such as springs or the like, allowing it to return to the position in which it closes the passage between the two chambers 30 and 40 when the container 90 is no longer resting on the wall 50.

In this way, a user can transfer a product from the chamber 30 to the other chamber 40 by operating a suitable interface or a remote terminal without directly accessing the chambers, with the same advantages listed above. Of course, many alternative embodiments of the refrigerating apparatus are possible: in particular, an alternative embodiment 100 of the variant illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 is the one shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

The features of the chambers 300 and 400 of this alternative embodiment are the same as those already described, and also in this case they will not be discussed any further.

In this example, the first chamber 300 extends all around the second chamber 400, and the movable thermo insulating wall 500 is made as one piece.

In this case as well, the system operates by gravity, since the container 900 gets detached and falls onto the wall 500, thus causing the latter to rotate towards the inside of the chamber 400 until the container 900 slides down into it; an elastic element, e.g. a spring, will then bring the wall 500 back to its original position, thus separating again the two chambers 300 and 400.

Both the variant of Fig. 11 and the alternative embodiment thereof shown in Fig. 13 use gaskets on the edge of the movable wall 50, 500 in order to improve the thermal insulation between the two chambers 30,300 and 40,400, which operate at temperatures that may differ by up to 80°C.

As to the features of the movable wall 5,50,500, it may advantageously comprise a layer of highly thermally insulating material, such as aerogel (which is a per se known material and will not therefore be described any further) and/or a vacuum layer.

As concerns the method of controlling the refrigerating apparatus described so far in its different variants, it is conceivable that is features the following advantageous characteristics.

In the case wherein a product is moved automatically from the freezer chamber to the defreezer chamber, the refrigerating apparatus may advantageously be equipped with a control unit including a timer and/or a clock, which can be put in communication with a local user interface (e.g. applied to the apparatus itself) and/or a remote user interface (e.g. a mobile telephone, a computer or other similar devices).

Through the interface, the user can receive information about the products contained in the freezer compartment, i.e. type, remaining or elapsed preservation time, quality, quantity, best-before date or other information.

Such information may be entered into a memory unit of the refrigerating apparatus through a user programming procedure to be executed when the user puts the products into the containers, or it may be contained in suitable labels applied to the products or to the containers, e.g. bar code labels or RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag labels, which are per se known and will not therefore be discussed any further herein; in this case, the refrigerating apparatus must comprise a radio frequency scanner suitable for this purpose. Thanks to this information (specifically, product quality and quantity), the apparatus control unit can calculate the defreeze time of each product in each container.

When the user selects a product through the interface, the control unit will calculate, based on said information, the time required for defreezing the product and will tell the user when the product should be ready, if the defreezing process is started immediately by moving the product from the freezer chamber to the defreezer chamber as taught above.

Instead, if the user selects through said interface a preferred time at which a certain product contained in the freezer chamber must be defrozen, the control unit will calculate the defreeze time and control the transfer of said product from the freezer chamber to the defreezer chamber in a manner such that at the time selected by the user the product will have just been unfrozen and will be ready for being cooked or eaten.

Also, the control unit can provide the user with all product-related information by sending it to the control interface, whether local or remote, so that the user has the possibility of checking the frozen products, the defreeze times, the best-before dates and other information, thus being able to properly handle the steps necessary for preparing, preserving and supplying foods.

In substance, the method comprises the steps of:

a- selecting a product contained in said freezer chamber

b- selecting a time instant at which said product must be defrozen or used

c- retrieving information about at least the quantity and quality of said product selected in step a

d- calculating the time necessary for defreezing said selected product based on the information retrieved in step c

e- moving said product selected in step a from the freezer chamber to the defreezer chamber at a time preceding the time instant selected in step b by a time equal to the defreeze time calculated in step d. It is apparent that many other changes may be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the protection scope thereof as stated in the appended claims.

For example, the removable fixing obtained through magnets and electromagnetic bases may be replaced with mechanical servo-assisted couplings, which can disengage the container

90,900 from the wall of the first chamber 30,300 upon receiving a command from the user.

Such mechanical couplings may comprise, for example, a hook constrained to the container

90, 900 and an openable seat associated with the vertical wall (or vice versa), or a helicoid section associated with the vertical wall which, when rotated, lets the container 90,900 fall (like some automatic vending machines).

As yet another alternative, hooks may be applied to a side wall of said first chamber, the profile of which is complementary to connection means obtained on said container.

Advantageously, the present invention is applicable to modular refrigerating apparatuses, i.e. refrigerating apparatuses having one or more specialised compartments used for additional functions, which can be customised according to the user's needs and wherein the temperature can be automatically adjusted as a function of such customisation.

A refrigerating apparatus of this type is shown in Figs. 15 to 18.

As shown in these drawings, the refrigerating apparatus 10 comprises two modular compartments, one of which houses a device D for the preparation of vegetables in general, whereas the other one houses a freezer/defreezer module as previously described.

The device D comprises two compartments 51 and 52 placed one on top of the other and having a substantially coinciding plan shape; the upper compartment is intended for containing vegetables, preferably leaf vegetables such as salad and the like.

The upper compartment may optionally be subdivided into multiple sectors, e.g. the sectors 51 A, 5 IB and 51C, by means of corresponding vertical septa.

On top of the upper compartment 51 there is a water dispenser (not shown), intended for letting a certain quantity of water drop onto the vegetables stored in the upper compartment in order to wash them.

Each sector of the upper compartment can be run by a corresponding thrust piston 55 (the drawing only shows one) or, as an alternative (when the upper compartment is not subdivided into multiple sectors), a single piston 55 moves vertically up and down in the compartment 51 to push downwards the vegetables contained therein.

At the interface between the upper compartment 51 and the lower compartment 52 there is a passage which can be closed by a removable bottom wall and which can be intercepted by one or more rotary blades 56 rotating about a vertical axis.

The lower compartment 52 is rotatable about a vertical axis and comprises a grid 57 arranged horizontally over the bottom wall.

The system operates as follows: the user places vegetables into the upper compartment through a suitable access opening (not shown); the vegetables rest on the removable bottom wall, which is in the condition wherein it intercepts the passage between the upper compartment 51 and the lower compartment 52.

The dispenser then sprays the vegetables with water (to which a hygienisation agent may have been added), thus washing them.

The removable bottom wall is then moved, and the piston 55 and the rotary blades 56 are actuated; the piston 55 pushes the vegetables into the passage intercepted by the rotary blades 56, which cut the leaves into smaller pieces, e.g. suitable for preparing a salad.

The cut vegetables then falls by gravity into the lower compartment 52, where it rests on the grid 57.

The lower compartment 52 is rotated and any water drops remaining on the vegetables are removed by centrifugal force: in fact, they get detached from the vegetables through the effect of centrifugal force and accumulate onto the side walls of the lower compartment 52; from there, they glide downwards and gather into the space between the grid and the bottom wall of the lower compartment 52.

The user can then pick up the cut and dried vegetables directly from the lower compartment 52, which for this purpose is fitted with a reclosable access opening (not shown).

By combining, in the same apparatus 10, a device D as just described together with a freezer chamber and a defreezer chamber as previously described it is possible to obtain a multifunction refrigerating apparatus in which various functions useful for preparing foods can be carried out within a quite compact space.

As an alternative to the device D, different modules may be installed in the refrigerating apparatus 10, such as, for example, an ice-cream module or dispenser modules for dispensing fruit-juice or yogurt preserved at controlled temperatures.

Claims

1. A refrigerating apparatus (1 ,10,100) comprising at least a first chamber (3,30,300) and a second chamber (4,40,400) operating at different temperatures, said first chamber (3,30,300) being a freezer chamber and said second chamber (4,40,400) being a defreezer chamber, characterised in that

said first (3,30,300) and said second (4,40,400) chambers are adjacent to each other and are separated by at least one movable thermo insulating wall (5,50,500), and further comprising moving means for moving a product at least from the first chamber (3,30,300) to the second chamber (4,40,400).

2. A refrigerating apparatus (1,10,100) according to claim 1 , wherein said moving means comprise said movable wall (5,50,500).

3. A refrigerating apparatus (1,10,100) according to claim 2, wherein said movable wall (5,50,500) is rotatable about a horizontal axis and extends at least partly horizontally, forming at least partly the bottom of said first (3,30,300) and/or said second (4,40,400) chambers.

4. A refrigerating apparatus (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said defreezer chamber comprises a heating electric resistor.

5. A refrigerating apparatus (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said first (3) and said second (4) chambers are arranged in an extractable drawer (6) of said refrigerating apparatus (1), said first chamber (3) being located behind said second chamber (4) and farther from a front wall of said drawer (6), wherein said movable wall (5) is rotatable about a horizontal axis and comprises two perpendicular L-shaped branches having the same length between which at least one product container (9,9',9",9"') can be placed, so as to allow said container (9, 9', 9", 9" ') to pass from the first chamber (3) to the second chamber (4), and wherein, preferably, said movable wall (5) is subdivided into a plurality of vertical sectors (5A,5B,5C), each rotatable about said horizontal axis independently of the adjacent one, each vertical sector (5A,5B,5C) being associable with a corresponding container (9A,9B,9C).

6. A refrigerating apparatus (10,100) according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, wherein said first chamber (30,300) is arranged at least partly over said second chamber (40,400), wherein said movable wall (50,500) separates the first chamber (30,300) from the second chamber (40,400) horizontally and is rotatable about at least one horizontal axis, and wherein said products are contained in containers (90,900) which can be removably secured to one of the internal walls of said first chamber (30,300), said movable wall (50,500) being adapted to rotate towards said second chamber (40,400) when pushed downwards by the weight of a container (90,900), so as to allow said container (90,900) to pass from the first chamber (30,300) to the second chamber (40,400).

7. A refrigerating apparatus (1) according to claim 6, wherein said containers (90,900) are removably secured by coupling permanent magnets associated with the container (90,900) to matching electromagnetic bases associated with said vertical wall, or else through hooks or crooks applied to a side wall of said first chamber and having a profile being complementary to connection means obtained on said containers (90,900), or vice versa.

8. A method for controlling a refrigerating apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of:

a- selecting a product contained in said freezer chamber

b- selecting a time instant at which said product must be defrozen or used

e- moving said product selected in step a from the freezer chamber to the defreezer chamber at a time preceding the time instant selected in step b by a time equal to the defreeze time calculated in step d.

9. A refrigerating apparatus characterised by comprising a device (D) for preparing vegetables or the like, comprising:

- an upper compartment (51),

- a rotatable lower compartment (52), said upper compartment (51) lying on top of said lower compartment (52),

- a water dispenser arranged on the upper compartment (51),

- a piston (55) vertically movable inside the upper compartment (51),

- a passage between the upper compartment (51) and the lower compartment (52), wherein said passage can be closed by a removable bottom wall and intercepted by at least one rotary blade (56),

- a grid (57) arranged horizontally over a bottom wall of said lower compartment (52).

10. A refrigerating apparatus (1,10,100) according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, characterised by further comprising a device (D) for preparing vegetables or the like according to claim 9.