WO2012113632A2

WO2012113632A2 - Refrigeration appliance having an evaporation tray

Info

Publication number: WO2012113632A2
Application number: PCT/EP2012/051754
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Krapp; Karl-Friedrich Laible
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2011-02-23
Filing date: 2012-02-02
Publication date: 2012-08-30
Also published as: WO2012113632A3; EP2678623B1; EP2678623A2; DE102011004591A1; RU2013140366A; PL2678623T3; CN103403480A; RU2564229C2; CN103403480B

Abstract

In a refrigeration appliance, in particular a domestic refrigeration appliance, having an evaporation tray (7) and a live cable (17) which can be positioned in an air space above the evaporation tray (7), a support grating (15) extends above a water level of the evaporation tray (7) in order to prevent the cable (17) from coming into contact with the water.

Description

Refrigeration unit with evaporation tray

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, in particular a household refrigerator, which is equipped with an evaporation tray to eliminate condensation, which is reflected during operation of the refrigerator in the interior of an evaporator.

Such an evaporation tray is generally accommodated in a machine room at a rear side of the body of the refrigeration device in order to utilize waste heat from a compressor also placed there for evaporating the condensed water.

Often, such an evaporation tray is mounted on a housing of the compressor to efficiently through the direct contact, the waste heat of the compressor in the

To initiate the evaporation tray and the water contained therein. In order to ensure the required large-area close contact with the compressor housing, the evaporation tray must be precisely manufactured and tailored to the shape of the

Be adapted compressor housing. If different compressor models with different housing shapes can be used in series production of the refrigeration device, a special evaporation tray is required for each model, which considerably increases the production outlay. In addition, free air space above the evaporation tray is required to allow the outflow of moisture saturated air from the engine room. The space requirement of such an evaporation tray is therefore considerable.

In order to reduce the space requirement and the production cost, it has therefore already been proposed to mount an evaporation tray near the bottom of the machine room, below the compressor. This solution is particularly practicable when a fan provides sufficient air exchange between the engine room and the environment and in particular for a strong air circulation over the water level of the evaporation tray. However, a disadvantage of this design is that, since electrical components are located in the machine room above the evaporation tray, supply cables run above it. Especially with a

Power cord is the possibility that this, if it is not completely out is pulled out of the machine room, hangs into the evaporation tray. This leads to a safety risk, unless the insulating jacket of the

Power cord is made of a material suitable and approved for permanent contact with water. However, such insulated cables are considerably more expensive than those commonly used for household electrical appliances. To exclude the possibility of immersion of a supply cable in the evaporation tray, it is common to close the engine room with a rear wall. However, even though it is broken, it significantly impedes the air exchange between the engine room and the environment, and resulting heat accumulation in the engine room impairs the efficiency of refrigeration and therefore leads to increased energy consumption.

The object of the invention is to provide a refrigeration device in which the risk of

Dipping a live cable is eliminated in an evaporation tray, without hindering the exchange of air between an air space above the evaporation tray and the environment of the refrigerator.

Under a refrigeration device is in particular a household refrigeration appliance understood, ie a refrigeration appliance for household management in households or possibly in the

Catering area is used, and in particular serves to store food and / or drinks in household quantities at certain temperatures, such as a refrigerator, a freezer, a fridge-freezer, a freezer or a wine storage cabinet.

The problem is solved by extending a supporting grid over a water level of the evaporation tray in a refrigerator with an evaporation tray and a live cable that can be placed in an air space above the evaporation tray. By supporting the cable when the support grid is in the air space above the evaporation tray, contact of the cable with the water in the evaporation tray can be prevented. The required distance between individual bars of the grid depends on the stiffness of the cable and possibly also on the distance between the supporting grid and the maximum water level that can be achieved in the evaporation tray. In a conventional AC power supply cable, a distance between adjacent grating bars of several centimeters is sufficient to prevent immersion of the cable in the condensed water, even if its water level is only a few millimeters below the support grid. According to a first embodiment, the support grid may be at least partially formed by upper edges of ribs dipping into the evaporation tray. These ribs can be supported on the side walls or on the bottom of the evaporation tray, but they can also be integrally formed with the evaporation tray. But the support grid can also at least partially by itself over a

Be formed water surface of the evaporation shell extending webs.

A support grid, which is not integral with the evaporation tray can

expediently be positively anchored to the evaporation tray, in particular at the edges. It is also conceivable, however, a positive anchoring of the support grid to a support of the evaporation tray, especially if this carrier also determines the position of the evaporation tray.

It is also expedient if the support grid and the carrier of the evaporation tray cooperate in order to limit a receptacle in which the evaporation tray is fixed.

A carrier of the evaporation tray may also be useful to support a compressor disposed above the evaporation tray.

To assist the compressor, it may be useful for posts connecting the compressor to the carrier to extend through passages of the evaporation tray. Thus, the compressor can easily above the

Water level of the shell can be attached and the water in the

Heat evaporative pan effectively.

Preferably, the evaporation tray is at the bottom of a machine room of the

Refrigerating device arranged. In order to facilitate the attachment of the support grid and the compressor over the evaporation tray, it is expedient that the support grid has an open-edge cutout, in which the compressor is arranged. Conveniently, the support grid may also have a pipe socket for receiving a condensate supply. By the pipe socket the

Condensate supply line fixed, can be safely ruled out that this, e.g. is bent during transport or assembly of the device, and therefore that condensation water misses the evaporation tray.

In order to accommodate a sufficient length of the pipe socket, it is preferred that this extends beyond the support grid upwards.

The condensate supply line, which opens into the evaporation tray can

originate directly from a storage chamber of the refrigerator. According to a preferred variant, the condensate supply line forms an overflow of a

Evaporation tank, which is located above the evaporation tray. By using the evaporation tank in addition to the evaporation tray, the evaporation capacity of the refrigerator can be increased, which is particularly important for high-efficiency, little waste heat generating refrigerators.

The evaporation container may in turn be mounted on the compressor to use on the housing wall heat dissipated. Since the free water surface of the evaporation tank need not be as large as in a refrigerator in which the entire accumulating condensate must be evaporated by a shell mounted on the compressor, the dimensions of the evaporation tank and the free air space can be kept small above him, so that the space requirement of

Engine room remains low despite the evaporation tank. Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. From this description and the figures are also features of the

Embodiments, which are not mentioned in the claims. Such features may also occur in combinations other than those specifically disclosed herein. Therefore, the fact that several such features are mentioned in the same sentence or in a different type of textual context does not justify the conclusion that they can occur only in the specific combination disclosed;

instead, it must be assumed that, of several such characteristics, it is also possible to omit or modify individual ones, provided that this is the case

Functionality of the invention is not in question. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine room of a refrigerator

according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional perspective view of an evaporation tray according to a second embodiment of the invention; FIG.

3 shows an evaporation tray according to a third embodiment;

4 shows an evaporation tray according to a fourth embodiment;

5 shows a one-piece evaporation tray according to a fifth embodiment; Fig. 6 is an evaporation tray with pipe socket for receiving a

Kondenswasserzuführleitung;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a support grid; a perspective, partially sectioned view of an evaporation tray on which the support grid of Figure 7 is used. and a schematic section through a structure with a

Evaporation tray and a support grid according to Fig. 8 and Fig. 7, a compressor and a mounted on the compressor evaporation tank.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective partial view of the lower portion of the back of a refrigerator housing, such as a household refrigerator, freezer or a Fridge-freezer. An engine room 1 is referred to as a back of the

Device body open, sideways through side walls 3 and up through a

Ceiling wall limited niche formed. From the side walls 3 jump in

Ground near support strips 5 inside the engine room 1 before. On this

Overlay strips 5 rest on narrow side edges 9 of an evaporation tray 7, which is substantially rectangular in plan view and which, e.g. is formed by deep drawing of plastic sheet material or sheet metal.

About the evaporation tray 7, a compressor 1 1 is mounted; several posts 13 keep it away from the bottom of the evaporation tray 7. The posts 13 may be part of a housing of the compressor 11 and be secured to the bottom of the shell 7; but they can also be applied to the evaporation tray 7, e.g. during deep drawing, as formed by the bottom of protruding projections.

About the evaporation tray 7, a support grid 15 extends from crossed, extending in the width or depth direction of the machine room 1 bars, the ends of each rest on the narrow and longitudinal edges 9 of the evaporation tray 7.

A power cord 17 is here shown starting from the compressor 1 1, but it could also emanate from a bus bar on a wall of the engine room 1 or any other electrical load of the refrigerator. The power cord 17 is not completely pulled out of the engine room 1 and therefore does not run straight, but forms a loop 19. The loop 19 rests on the support grid 15 and therefore can not intervene in the evaporation tray 7 below the support grid 15. The need to prevent immersion of the power cord 17 in the evaporating dish by means of the support grid 15, even if the power cord from the compressor 1 1, but, for. from a (not shown) attached to a wall of the engine room 1 junction box or a

Connection point outside the engine room 1 goes out.

On the rear wall of the refrigeration body above the engine room 1, a wire tube condenser 21 fed by the compressor 11 is mounted in a manner known per se. This in turn is connected in series with an evaporator inside the body, the one or more storage chambers of the refrigerator cools. Condensation, which is reflected on the evaporator, is led out via a pipe 23 to the rear wall of the device. The pipe 23 ends above the evaporation tray 7, so that the discharged condensate drips into the evaporation tray 7.

Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of the evaporation tray 7 and the support grid 15 in a perspective partial view. The evaporation tray 7 has a flat bottom 25, steeply rising side walls 27, and, subsequent to the upper edge of the side walls 27, horizontal edges 9 forming a frame surrounding the evaporation tray 7 on all four sides.

The support grid 15 is here in one piece, e.g. made of sheet metal. In the sheet a plurality of openings 29 is cut so that only two narrow webs 31 remain between two adjacent openings 29. Around the openings 29 around a rigid frame 33 is left, which rests on the edge 9 of the shell on all four sides. The openings 29 are here rectangular and arranged in a row and column pattern, so that the webs 31 between them each extending continuously from one side of the frame 33 to the opposite. Of course, other shapes and arrangements of the openings 29 are also contemplated, e.g. Triangles or hexagons, provided that the total area of the openings 29 is only large enough so that the webs 31 not appreciably affect the exchange of air between the interior of the shell 7 and the air space above the support grid 15.

On one of the four sides of the evaporation tray 7, the frame 33 is bent in a U shape to form a U-profile 35 extending over the entire width of the tray 7. By the U-profile 35 surrounds the edge 9, it defines an axis about which the support grid 15 with respect to the evaporation tray 7 is pivotable. At the U-profile 35

opposite side of the frame 33, one or two protruding tongues 37 are bent into hooks 37, each of which ends in an insertion bevel 39 towards the bottom. The support grid 15 can thus easily and quickly on the

Evaporation tray 7 are fixed by first the U-profile 35 of the obliquely held support grid 15 is brought into engagement on one of the edges 9 and then the support grid 15 is pivoted against the evaporation tray 7. In this case, first the insertion bevel 39 abuts against its opposite edge 9 of the shell 7, and the Hook 37 is elastically bent until the insertion bevel 39 has completely passed this opposite edge 9 and it engages in the hook 37.

In order to increase the carrying capacity of the support grid 15, it is possible, as shown in Fig. 3, to widen individual of the webs 31 to ribs 41, which extend down to the bottom 25 of the evaporation tray 7 and supported on this. Such a load bearing support grid 15 could optionally also directly carry the compressor 1 1, so that the shown in Fig. 1, passing through the support grid 15 post 13 could be omitted.

The support grid 15 of FIG. 3 can not be punched out of flat material like that of FIG. 2; here, instead, a production by impression, e.g. by injection molding of plastic, into consideration. In the embodiment of the support grid 15 shown in Fig. 4, ribs 41, 43 extend in two different directions. By the ends of these ribs 41, 43 abut against the side walls 27 of the evaporation tray 7, the support grid 15 is fixed in the shell 7, without the need for a lock. Fig. 5 shows an embodiment in which the support grid 15 integral with the

Evaporation tray 7 is realized. The support grid 15 is formed here by upper edges of a plurality of intersecting ribs 45, which divide the interior of the evaporation tray 7 into a plurality of compartments 49. The ribs 45 are interrupted in places by extending to the bottom 25 extending notches 51 to ensure that the compartments 49 communicate with each other and not individual compartments 49 can dry.

Fig. 6 shows an example of a support grid 15 of the type shown in Fig. 2 a

Pipe socket 53, which can accommodate the lower end of the pipe 23, so as to ensure that this is always on the evaporation tray 7 and no condensation can be lost. The length of the pipe socket 53 is greater than the height of the shell, so that it must extend partially over the support grid. A height of the pipe socket 53 of several cm is desirable to ensure that the end of the pipe 23 is held securely in the pipe socket 53, despite possibly being able to move from one device to the other of the pipe member 23 in a fluctuating manner. The pipe socket 53 also prevents splashes that occur when the end of the pipe 23 does not touch the water surface of the evaporation tray 7 and drops fall from the end of the pipe 23, distribute outside of the evaporation tray 7.

FIG. 7 shows a plastic injection-molded support grid 15 according to a further embodiment in a perspective view. 2, it is equipped on one longitudinal side with a U-profile 35 and on the opposite longitudinal side with a plurality of hooks 37 for latching to the edges 9 of an evaporation tray 7. A large-area recess 55 is open to the edge 37 carrying the hooks. The dimensions of the recess 55 are adapted to that of the compressor 1 1 to allow snapping the support grid 15 on the evaporation tray by pivoting about the axis defined by the U-profile 35, even if the compressor 11 already mounted on the evaporation tray 7 is.

Fig. 8 shows a partially sectioned perspective view of a

Evaporation tray 7 and a support 57, which can be conveniently combined with the support grid 15 of FIG. 7. The support 57 here has substantially the shape shown in Fig. 1 for the evaporation tray 7, with a flat, rectangular bottom plate 59, the bottom plate 59 on four sides surrounding steep walls 61 and one of the upper edges of the walls 61 projecting outwardly horizontal

Edge web 63, which is supported in each case on the narrow sides of the carrier 57 on the support strips 5. From the bottom plate 59 four tabs 65 are cut free and angled upwards to form posts 13 for the assembly of the compressor 1 1.

The evaporation tray 7 can be very light and thin-walled here, since it is supported almost on its entire surface by the carrier 57. Openings 67 in the bottom 25 of the evaporation tray 7, through which the posts 13 extend, are surrounded by one-piece raised walls 69 of the tray 7 to prevent the water from flowing out of the tray 7. Along the inner sides of the walls 61, between these and the side walls 27 of the evaporation tray 7, runs a refrigerant line 71 which is arranged in the refrigerant circuit of the refrigerator between the compressor 11 and the condenser 21 or between the condenser 21 and a throttle point leading to the evaporator. The small wall thickness of the evaporation tray 7 promotes the transfer of heat from the refrigerant line 71 to condensate in the evaporation tray 7; of the

Contact of the refrigerant line 71 with wall 61 and bottom plate 59 of the carrier 57 promotes the propagation of the heat within the carrier 57 and thus the passage to the condensed water on a large surface. Fig. 9 shows a cross section of the machine room 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. A portion of the ceiling, which is bounded above the engine room 1, denoted by 73. From this ceiling 73 spaced by an air space 75, a flat cup-shaped evaporation tank 77 is mounted on the compressor 11, which is heated by direct contact with the compressor 1 1. The pipe 23, the

A vertical overflow tube 79 extends through the bottom of the evaporation tank 77, and its protruding into the compression tank 77 upper end defines the highest achievable water level 81 in the condensate tank

Compression tank 77. When the influx of condensed water via the pipe 23 exceeds the evaporation capacity of the compression tank 77 and the

Water level 81 is reached, water flows through the overflow pipe 79 into the mounted under the compressor 1 1 evaporation tray 7. The evaporation tray 7 is held in a carrier 57 as shown in FIG. 8 and heated by the refrigerant line 71 extending between the carrier 57 and the tray 7. On the edges of the carrier 57 is a support grid 15, e.g. of the type shown in Fig. 6, latched. Support 57 and supporting grid 15 complement each other to form a housing enclosing the evaporation tray 7, so that additional fixing of the evaporation tray 7 is not required.

Claims

1. Refrigeration appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, with an evaporation tray (7) and a live cable (17) which is placeable in an air space above the evaporation tray (7), characterized in that a

Support grid (15) extends over a water level of the evaporation tray (7).

2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the support grid (15) is at least partially formed by upper edges of in the evaporation tray (7) dipping ribs (41, 43).

3. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support grid (15) at least partially by itself over a water surface of the

Evaporation tray (7) extending webs (31) is formed.

4. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support grid (15, 45) is formed integrally with the evaporation tray (7).

5. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support grid (15) on the evaporation tray (7), in particular on edges (9) of the evaporation tray, or on a support (57) of the evaporation tray (7) anchored positively is.

6. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support grid (15) and a support (57) of the evaporation tray (7) define a receptacle in which the evaporation tray (7) is fixed.

7. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the carrier (57) further supports a via the evaporation tray (7) arranged compressor (1 1). Refrigerating appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that posts (13) which connect the compressor (1 1) to the carrier (57) extend through passages (67) of the evaporation tray (7).

Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support grid (15) on a bottom surface (25) of the evaporation tray (7) is supported.

Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a machine room (1), at the bottom of which

Evaporation tray (7) is arranged.

Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support grid (7) has an open-edged recess (55) in which a compressor (1 1) is arranged.

Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support grid (15) has a pipe socket (53) for receiving a

Condensate supply line (23, 79) has.

Refrigerating appliance according to claim 12, characterized in that the pipe socket (53) extends beyond the support grid (15) also upwards.

Refrigerating appliance according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the

Condensate supply line (79) forms an overflow of an evaporation tank (77), which is arranged above the evaporation tray (7).

Refrigerating appliance according to claim 14, characterized in that the

Evaporation tank (77) on a compressor (1 1) is mounted.