WO2012168922A1

WO2012168922A1 - Refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use

Info

Publication number: WO2012168922A1
Application number: PCT/IB2012/052918
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dino Bongini; Andrea CAGNASSO
Original assignee: Indesit Company S.P.A.
Priority date: 2011-06-10
Filing date: 2012-06-08
Publication date: 2012-12-13
Also published as: ITTO20110515A1; EP2718646A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerating appliance (1), in particular for household use, comprising: - a cabinet (10), which comprises at least a first (11) and a second side wall (12), a top wall (13) and a bottom wall (14); - a housing (20) adapted to define at least one internal compartment (21) in said cabinet (10) for storing foodstuffs. The invention is characterized in that said housing (20) forms one piece with said cabinet (10) and defines an interspace (22) with said cabinet (10) at said first side wall (11), second side wall (12), top wall (13) and bottom wall (14), said interspace (22) being adapted to receive a structure (30) made of insulating material.

Description

"REFRIGERATING APPLIANCE, IN PARTICULAR FOR HOUSEHOLD USE"

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, according to the preamble of claim 1.

The present invention also relates to a method for making said refrigerating appliance.

The refrigerating appliances known in the art comprise:

- a cabinet, which comprises at least a first and a second side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall;

- a housing adapted to define at least one internal compartment in said cabinet for storing foodstuffs.

It is also known in the art that said cabinet and said housing are designed in such a way as to define also a rear wall of the refrigerating appliance; in addition, the cabinet of the refrigerating appliance is usually equipped with a door for closing said at least one internal compartment.

The refrigerating appliances of the types known in the art typically comprise two internal compartments kept at different temperatures, thus providing at least two different food preservation states, in particular a refrigerator compartment suitable for preserving fresh foods at a temperature between 0°C and 10°C and a freezer compartment suitable for preserving frozen foods at a temperature between -15°C and -30°C; such refrigerating appliances are commonly referred to by those skilled in the art of household refrigeration as "double-door" or "combined" refrigerators, depending on the relative position of the two compartments. In a "double- door" refrigerating appliance, the freezer compartment is above the refrigerator compartment, whereas in a "combined" refrigerating appliance the freezer compartment is located at the bottom.

Usually between the cabinet of the refrigerating appliance and the housing adapted to define said at least one compartment for preserving foodstuffs there are spaces which are filled with a foam of plastic material, e.g. polyurethane; such foam allows insulating the compartment for preserving foodstuffs from the surrounding environment, so as to keep the temperature within said internal compartment as stable as possible.

It has however been observed that the refrigerating appliances known in the art suffer from a number of drawbacks, which substantially concern the making of the refrigerating appliance itself.

In fact, the positioning of the housing inside the cabinet and the filling of the spaces existing between the cabinet and the housing with insulating foam necessarily increase the complexity of the process for manufacturing the refrigerating appliance.

Furthermore, the use of insulating foam has become increasingly critical in terms of ecological impact, if we consider both legislative evolution and users' sensitivity in this regard.

Another drawback of said solution is that during the foaming stage there may be some leaks of insulating foam, in particular if the housing has not been positioned correctly, or some portions of the spaces between the cabinet and the housing may remain unfilled with insulating foam, thus inevitably impairing the insulating capability of the refrigerating appliance.

A further drawback of the solution known in the art is that the housing adapted to define at least one internal compartment for preserving foodstuffs may be moved from the desired position while assembling the refrigerating appliance, e.g. when filling with insulating foam the spaces between the cabinet and the housing; it is apparent that even a minimal displacement of the housing will inevitably worsen the functionality of the entire refrigerating appliance.

In this frame, it is the main object of the present invention to provide a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, which is adapted to overcome the above-described drawbacks, thus being particularly efficient and economical, while at the same time being characterized by a particularly simple assembly process.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, which is particularly suited to obtaining a low ecological impact and which, most importantly, can ensure a high degree of recyclability.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, wherein no leaks of foam can occur from the spaces between the external cabinet of the refrigerating appliance and the housing adapted to define at least one internal compartment for preserving foodstuffs.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, which is so manufactured as to ensure optimal insulating performance, in particular by preventing that any portions of the interspace between the external cabinet and the internal housing of the refrigerating appliance might remain unfilled with insulating foam. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, which is so manufactured as to ensure adequate functionality of the appliance as a whole.

Said objects are achieved by the present invention through a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, incorporating the features set out in the appended claims, which are intended as an integral part of the present description.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and from the annexed drawings, which are supplied by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

- Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a refrigerating appliance according to the present invention;

- Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the refrigerating appliance according to the present invention;

- Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a detail of the refrigerating appliance according to the present invention.

Referring now to the annexed drawings, reference numeral 1 designates as a whole a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, according to the present invention.

Said refrigeration appliance 1 comprises:

- a cabinet 10, which comprises at least a first 11 and a second side wall 12, a top wall 13 and a bottom wall 14;

- a housing 20 adapted to define at least one internal compartment 21 in said cabinet 10 for storing foodstuffs.

In particular, said at least one compartment 21 may be a freezer compartment adapted to preserve frozen foods (usually at a temperature between -15°C and -30°C) or a refrigerator compartment adapted to preserve fresh foods (usually at a temperature between 0°C and 10°C).

In the representation of the annexed drawings, the refrigerating appliance 1 according to the present invention comprises only one compartment 21; it is however clear that it may be so designed as to comprise two internal compartments kept at different temperatures, in particular a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, thereby providing at least two different food preservation states.

Preferably, said at least one compartment 21 is defined by a housing 20 made of plastic material and closed by a respective door (not shown in the drawings).

In accordance with the present invention, the cabinet 10 and the housing 20 form one piece obtained through a single operation, which preferably is an injection moulding operation; it is apparent that other known technologies may alternatively be used, e.g. thermoforming.

For simplicity, the representation of the refrigerating appliance 1 shown in the annexed drawings does not include some components that normally equip a refrigerating appliance 1, such as, for example, a plurality of shelves arranged at different heights in said compartment 21.

Also in accordance with the present invention, said housing 20 defines an interspace 22 with said cabinet 10 at said first side wall 11, second side wall 12, top wall 13 and bottom wall 14, said interspace 22 being adapted to receive a structure 30 made of insulating material.

As can be seen in particular in Fig. 3, said structure 30 made of insulating material comprises at least one first panel 31, which is substantially U- shaped.

In a preferred embodiment, said structure 30 made of insulating material comprises a first panel 31 and a second panel 32 which are substantially U- shaped, in particular said first panel 31 and second panel 32 being coupled to each other through respective free portions 31L, 32L.

It is however clear that, in an alternative embodiment, the first panel 31 may be so designed as to have a substantially U-shaped profile, and the second panel 32 may be substantially straight and coupled to free portions 31L of the first panel 31.

It must be pointed out that the number and shape of the panels 31, 32 shown in Fig. 3 should be regarded as non-limiting because, for example, one may employ four flat panels inserted in the interspace 22 obtained between the cabinet 10 and the housing 20.

It is also apparent that the coupling between said first panel 31 and second panel 32 through respective free portions 31L, 32L may be accomplished by using fastening means or other solutions known in the art, e-g- by glueing.

As an alternative, said first panel 31 and second panel 32 may be simply adjacent, as opposed to fastened, to each other, since said first panel 31 and second panel 32 will nevertheless stay in position by fitting into the interspace 22.

Preferably, said first panel 31 and/ or second panel 32 consist of a vacuum insulation panel (V.I. P.).

As known in the art, V.I.P. panels comprise a hermetic casing (usually made of aluminium or a similar material) that encloses and seals an airless foam (usually of silicic acid) or a "getter" of insulating material, e.g. an aerogel or a silicon gel.

The special provision of the interspace 22 and of the structure 30 made of insulating material in accordance with the present invention allows to provide a refrigerating appliance 1, in particular for household use, which is so designed as to prove particularly efficient and economical, especially as far as assembly is concerned.

In addition, the particular features of the present invention allow preventing any leaks of foam from the spaces normally present between the external cabinet and the housing in the refrigerating appliances known in the art.

The use of a structure 30 made of insulating material, in particular said insulating material being provided through at least one V.I. P. panel, ensures adequate functionality of the entire refrigerating appliance 1 according to the present invention. In particular, said structure 30 allows to obtain an optimal insulation of the internal compartment 21, resulting in a considerable improvement of the overall performance of the refrigerating appliance 1. In fact, the structure 30 takes up the entire interspace 22, without leaving any empty space unoccupied by insulating material; as a consequence, the surface of the housing 20 that faces said first side wall 11, second side wall 12, top wall 13 and bottom wall 14 can be fully covered.

Furthermore, the present invention allows to reduce the distance between the cabinet 10 and the housing 20 to approximately 10 - 20 mm, resulting in an increased volume of the compartment 21. Thanks to the features of the present invention, insulation thickness can be reduced to 1/3 compared to a common polyurethane foam, while keeping the insulating properties unchanged. As is particularly visible in Figs. 1 and 2, the refrigerating appliance 1 according to the present invention may comprise a cover 40 for defining the compartment 21 at the rear, as well as for associating an evaporator 41 with the compartment 21.

In addition, the refrigerating appliance 1 according to the present invention comprises a sheet 33 of insulating material, in particular said sheet 33 consisting of a vacuum insulation panel (V.I.P.).

The refrigerating appliance 1 according to the present invention further comprises a structural element 15 for closing said cabinet 10 at the rear, in particular through the interposition of said sheet 33 of insulating material between the structural element 15 and the compartment 21.

The cover 40 is secured to the structural element 15 by means of screws (or equivalent known fastening means), with the sheet 33 of insulating material and the evaporator 41 in between, so as to obtain a first assembly which is then connected through screws (or equivalent known fastening means) to a second assembly including the cabinet 10 and the panels 31, 32, previously inserted into the interspace 22. During the step of connecting said two assemblies together, spacing and centering elements are used in order to properly hold the panels 31, 32 in position.

The refrigerating appliance 1 according to the present invention also comprises a kick plate 16 adapted to be associated with a lower front portion 10A of the cabinet 10. Preferably, said kick plate 16 defines a space 16A adapted to house an electronic board (not shown in the drawings) and any accessories of the refrigerating appliance 1. This makes said electronic board easily accessible, e.g. for maintenance or replacement purposes.

A method for making a refrigerating appliance 1, in particular for household use, will now be described, which comprises:

According to the present invention, said method comprises the steps of: a) providing said housing 20 and said cabinet 10 by means of a single operation, so as to define an interspace 22 at said first side wall 11, second side wall 12, top wall 13 and bottom wall 14;

b) inserting a structure 30 made of insulating material into said interspace 22.

Preferably, said single operation of step a) is an injection moulding operation.

According to the present invention, said method comprises a step c) of making said structure 30 of insulating material in a manner such that it comprises at least one first panel 31, which is substantially U-shaped.

In accordance with the present invention, said step c) is carried out by building said structure 30 of insulating material in a manner such that it comprises a first panel 31 and a second panel 32 which are substantially U- shaped, in particular said first panel 31 and second panel 32 being coupled to each other through respective free portions 31L, 32L.

As an alternative, said step c) may be carried out by building said structure 30 of insulating material in a manner such that it comprises a first panel 31 having a substantially U-shaped profile and a second panel 32 which is substantially straight and which is coupled to free portions 31L of the first panel 31. Preferably, the method according to the present invention comprises a step d) of making said first panel 31 and/or said second panel 32 in a manner such that they consist of a vacuum insulation panel (V.I.P.).

Furthermore, the method according to the present invention comprises a step e) of associating an evaporator 41 with the cabinet 10 and/or with the housing 20 by means of a cover 40.

The method according to the present invention further comprises a step f) of closing said cabinet 10 by means of a structural element 15, in particular through the interposition of a sheet 33 of insulating material between the structural element 15 and the internal compartment 21.

Preferably, said step f) is carried out by using a sheet 33 consisting of a vacuum insulation panel (V.I. P.).

The method according to the present invention may then comprise a step g) of associating a kick plate 16 with a lower front portion 10A of the cabinet 10, in particular said kick plate 16 comprising a space 16A adapted to house an electronic board (not shown in the drawings).

It is also apparent that the method according to the present invention may further comprise a step h) of re-closing said front portion 10A of the cabinet 10 with at least one door (not shown in the drawings).

The features and advantages of the refrigerating appliance and manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention are apparent from the above description.

In particular, the present invention allows to provide a refrigerating appliance 1, in particular for household use, which is so designed as to turn out to be particularly efficient and economical, while being characterized by a particularly simple assembly process. A further advantage offered by the present invention is that it provides a refrigerating appliance, in particular for household use, which is particularly suited to obtaining a low ecological impact, since it is highly recyclable.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the presence of the interspace 22 and of the structure 30 made of insulating material prevent any leaks of foam from the spaces normally present between the external cabinet and the housing of the refrigerating appliances known in the art.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the structure 30 made of insulating material, in particular said insulating material being provided through at least one V.I.P. panel, ensures adequate functionality of the entire refrigerating appliance 1 according to the present invention.

In particular, said structure 30 allows to significantly improve the overall performance of the refrigerating appliance 1, in that it ensures optimal insulation of the internal compartment 21; in fact, the provision of the structure 30 allows to occupy the interspace 22 thoroughly, i.e. without leaving any empty spaces unoccupied by insulating material.

It is however clear that many changes may be made to the refrigerating appliance and to the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention, and that in its practical implementation the various components may have different shapes and arrangements or be replaced with other technically equivalent elements without departing from the novelty spirit of the inventive idea.

In particular, the present invention has illustrated in detail a refrigerating appliance which is particularly suitable for use in a household environment; however, the present invention is also conveniently applicable to refrigerating appliances for the nautical or hotel industry. It can therefore be easily understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described refrigerating appliance and manufacturing method thereof, but may be subject to many modifications, improvements or replacements of equivalent parts and elements without departing from the inventive idea, as clearly specified in the following claims.

Claims

1. A refrigerating appliance (1), in particular for household use, comprising:

- a cabinet (10), which comprises at least a first (11) and a second side wall (12), a top wall (13) and a bottom wall (14);

- a housing (20) adapted to define at least one internal compartment (21) in said cabinet (10) for storing foodstuffs,

characterized in that

said housing (20) forms one piece with said cabinet (10) and defines an interspace (22) with said cabinet (10) at said first side wall (11), second side wall (12), top wall (13) and bottom wall (14), said interspace (22) being adapted to receive a structure (30) made of insulating material.

2. A refrigerating appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said structure (30) of insulating material comprises at least one first panel (31) which is substantially U-shaped.

3. A refrigerating appliance (1) according to one or more of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said structure (30) of insulating material comprises a first panel (31) and a second panel (32) which are substantially U-shaped, in particular said first panel (31) and second panel (32) being coupled to each other through respective free portions (31L, 32L).

4. A refrigerating appliance (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first panel (31) and/ or said second panel (32) consist of a vacuum insulation panel.

5. A refrigerating appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a cover (40) for defining the compartment (21) at the rear and/ or for associating an evaporator (41) with said compartment (21).

6. A refrigerating appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a sheet (33) made of insulating material, in particular said sheet (33) consisting of a vacuum insulation panel.

7. A refrigerating appliance (1) according to claim 6, characterized by comprising a structural element (15) for closing said cabinet (10) at the rear, in particular through the interposition of said sheet (33) of insulating material between the structural element (15) and the internal compartment (21).

8. A refrigerating appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a kick plate (16) adapted to be associated with a lower front portion (10A) of the cabinet (10), in particular said kick plate (16) defining a space (16A) adapted to house an electronic board.

9. A method for making a refrigerating appliance (1), in particular for household use, comprising:

- a housing (20) adapted to define at least one internal compartment (21) for storing foodstuffs,

characterized in that

said method comprises the steps of:

a) providing said housing (20) and said cabinet (10) as one piece, so as to define an interspace (22) at said first side wall (11), second side wall (12), top wall (13) and bottom wall (14);

b) inserting a structure (30) made of insulating material into said interspace (22).

10. A method according to claim 9, characterized by comprising a step c) of building said structure (30) of insulating material in a manner such that it comprises at least one first panel (31), which is substantially U-shaped.

11. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that said step c) is carried out by building said structure (30) of insulating material in a manner such that it comprises a first panel (31) and a second panel (32) which are substantially U-shaped, in particular said first panel (31) and second panel (32) being coupled to each other through respective free portions (31L, 32L).

12. A method according to claim 11, characterized by comprising a step d) of providing said first panel (31) and/or said second panel (32) in a manner such that they consist of a vacuum insulation panel.

13. A method according to one or more of the preceding claims 9 to 12, characterized by comprising a step f) of closing said cabinet (10) at the rear by means of a structural element (15), in particular through the interposition of a sheet (33) of insulating material between the structural element (15) and the internal compartment (21).

14. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that said step f) is carried out by means of a sheet (33) consisting of a vacuum insulation panel.

15. A method according to one or more of the preceding claims 9 to 14, characterized by comprising a step g) of associating a kick plate (16) with a lower front portion (10A) of the cabinet (10), in particular said kick plate (16) defining a space (16A) adapted to house an electronic board.

16. A refrigerating appliance (1), in particular for household use, comprising a structure (30) made of insulating material, said structure (30) being provided by means of at least one panel (31, 32) consisting of a vacuum insulation panel,

characterized in that said vacuum insulation panel is substantially U-shaped.

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