WO2013072248A1

WO2013072248A1 - Cooling device having an evaporator

Info

Publication number: WO2013072248A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/072177
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bilal Cinici
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2011-11-17
Filing date: 2012-11-08
Publication date: 2013-05-23

Abstract

Invention relates to a cooling device having a body (10); a heat insulated cooling chamber (30) provided on the body (10); and a planar evaporator (40) extending in a transverse manner between mutual lateral walls (35) in a distanced manner with a ceiling (32) so as to define a supported compartment from a rear wall (34) inside the cooling chamber (30), cooling device (10) comprising a support member (50) which is fixed inside the cooling chamber (30) and a rear region (42) of the evaporator (40), which is close to the rear wall (34) of the cooling chamber (30), is seated thereon.

Description

COOLING DEVICE HAVING AN EVAPORATOR

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a cooling device having an evaporator mounted to a rear wall of a cooling chamber thereof. PRIOR ART

Cooling devices comprise an evaporator, which is part of a refrigeration cycle. The evaporator is fixed to the cooling device in a suspending manner through a rear wall of a heat-insulated cooling chamber. In such cases, typically a coupling is provided between a front part of the evaporator and the cooling chamber by means of mounting clips, such that the evaporator is protected from damage due to shaking or vibrations.

Especially in cooling devices where the cooling chamber functions in the form of a freezer at a lower part, and the evaporator is extended throughout on top of this lower part so as to form a panel, the evaporators may be damaged during transportation under their own weight, because safety measures currently available are not adequate. In such cases, the cooling device is destroyed, resulting in financial loss.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The object of this invention is to prevent vibrations which result from shaking during transportation of an evaporator disposed in a freezer from damaging the evaporator.

In order to achieve said object, the present invention provides a cooling device, comprising a body; a heat-insulated cooling chamber disposed in the body; and a planar evaporator, extending transversely between mutual lateral walls and spaced apart from a ceiling so as to define a compartment or a panel supported by a rear wall within the cooling chamber. A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a support member, which is fixed inside the cooling chamber, and a rear region of the evaporator, which is close to the rear wall of the cooling chamber, is seated thereon. Thus, when an evaporator supported by the rear wall is subjected to vibration during transportation, the vibration is efficiently reduced by means of a support provided at a rear region where the springing effect is at minimum.

The support member is made of an EPS material at least in the part which contacts the rear region. Thus, the support member functions to absorb the vibration by itself. In order to fix the support member in the cooling chamber, supporting protrusions are provided on mutual lateral walls on which the lower part of the support member is placed. Thus, the support member is supported by the lateral walls against the load it bears.

The supporting protrusion is an upper part of a lateral wall of a drawer provided below the evaporator. Thus, the evaporator support member can be supported by means of a drawer placed into the liner forming the cooling chamber, without requiring any additional modifications.

An upper extension is provided which extends through to the top of the evaporator in an adjacent manner, so as to directly contact the inlet and outlet tubes of the evaporator. The extension reduces the vibrations on the inlet and outlet tube via direct contact, while providing support for the evaporator in the cooling chamber.

The upper extension comprises a hook in the form of a claw, extending toward the adjacent part of the evaporator. The hook structure helps in mounting the upper extension to the evaporator once it is passed through the latter.

The support member extends transversally between mutual lateral walls of the cooling chamber. Thus, it provides support along the rear region and withstands relatively greater tension per unit thickness.

A rear wall of the support member is adjacent to the rear wall of the cooling chamber. Thus, when the support member is pushed towards the rear region while it is mounted, the rear wall of the support member leans against and aligns itself to the rear wall of the cooling chamber.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be made clear by means of exemplary embodiments referring to attached figures, briefly described as follows.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator having a lower freezer compartment, comprising a representative embodiment of an evaporator support member according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective enlarged view of the placement of an evaporator provided in the freezer shown in Figure 1 .

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a freezer chamber in which the support member according to the present invention is disposed. Figure 4 is a side cross-section view of the freezer chamber shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an exploded view, showing an evaporator placed on a representative embodiment of the support member according to the present invention, along with surrounding elements, in the freezer chamber. Figure 6 is a side partial cross-section view of the freezer chamber accommodating an evaporator.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a representative embodiment of the support member according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

Figure 1 illustrates a cooling device, to which a representative embodiment of a support member (50) according to the present invention is attached. The cooling device comprises a heat-insulated body (10), a door (20) hinged to the body (10) such that the door can be opened, and a cooling chamber (30) in the form of a liner. The enlarged view of Figure 2 shows an evaporator (40), which is fixed in a suspended manner by its rear region (42) close to a rear wall (34) of the cooling chamber (30) in the proximity of a ceiling (32) thereof. The evaporator (42) is made of a bent tube and has a planar configuration. One end of the evaporator (40) is provided with an inlet (44), whereas the other end thereof is provided with an outlet (41 ). The evaporator (40) is fixed to the cooling chamber (30) as a result of passing the inlet and outlet (44, 41 ) through the rear wall (34). Thus, the evaporator (40) is extended between mutual lateral walls (36) so as to form a panel therebetween. The rear region (42) of the evaporator (40) extends in parallel to the rear wall (34).

A support element (50) is embodied, which is longer, but has a smaller width than the rear region (42) of the evaporator (40) such that the rear region (42) is fitted thereto. The support member (50) is provided with upper extensions (51 ), each extending outward in the vicinity of either end of the support member (50). The distance between the upper extensions (51 ) is close to the length between the inlet and outlet (44, 41 ) of the evaporator (40).

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cooling chamber (30). Accordingly, an evaporator (40) is mounted to the upper part of the cooling chamber (30). A fixation element (33) is provided on a lateral wall (36) of the cooling chamber (30). The fixation element (33) supports a drawer (60) in the cooling chamber (30). The drawer (60) comprises a base (61 ) extending transversally in the cooling chamber (30), as well as support walls (62), each obtained by bending one of two mutual lateral edges of the base (61 ) upwards, parallel to the lateral walls (36). The base (61 ) is fitted to the fixation element (33). The rear part of the drawer (60) is leaned against the rear wall (34). As illustrated in Figure 4, the support member (50) is disposed between the drawer (60) and the evaporator (40). The support member (50) is provided with a rear wall (56) leaned against the rear wall (34) of the cooling chamber (30).

Figure 5 shows a part of the interior of the cooling chamber (30), with the upper wall thereof being omitted. The support member (50) has a base (52) in the form of a flat bar, and is provided with upper extensions (51 ) extending upwards on the top of said base according to the orientation of the cooling chamber (30), each of said upper extensions (51 ) being situated at a certain distance to the respective end of the support member (50). The heads of the upper extensions (51 ) are curved to provide a hook structure (53). According to this embodiment, the cross-section of the upper-extension (51 ) has a form similar to the numeral "1 ". The end portions of the support members (50) base (52) are placed on the support tabs (62). The upper extensions (51 ), in turn, are passed through the evaporator (40), and are then retained to the tube (45) from above by means of the hooks (53), so that the evaporator's (40) inlet (44) and outlet (41 ) are left at one side, and the evaporator's tube (45) is left on the other side of the respective extension (51 ). The hook (53) is made of a resilient material. Thus, during mounting, the hook (53) is elastically deformed when it contacts the tube (45) and makes it easier to fit it over the tube (45). The evaporator (40) is fitted to the base (52) along the rear region (42) thereof in a region defined between the upper extensions (51 ). The support member (50) and the evaporator (40) are positioned horizontally in the cooling chamber (30). The support member (50) is made of an EPS material. Based on its resilient structure, this material is able to absorb the vibrations on the evaporator (40), which is fixed by means of its rear wall (34), during transportation. In case of sudden impacts, in turn, this resilient EPS material absorbs the impact and keeps the evaporator (40) undamaged.

Figure 6 shows a side cross-section of the cooling chamber (30), with the top part thereof being omitted. The evaporator (40) is fixed via the rear region (42) thereof as a result of passing the outlet (41 ) through the rear wall (34) of the cooling chamber (30). The base (52) supports the rear region (42) of the evaporator (40) from below, whereas the hook (53) holds the evaporator from above. A downward-extending lower strip (54) is provided at the lower side of the support member (50) along the base (52), said strip having a length which terminates before reaching the end portions of the support member. The lower strip (54) is introduced into the rear part of the drawer (60). The thickness of the base (52) corresponds to the distance between the support tab (62) and the lower part of the evaporator (40).

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the support member (50). It can be made either of EPS material, or of any other resilient material, or can be used in the form of a composite structure containing a resilient material.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 body 44 inlet

20 door 45 pipe

30 cooling chamber 50 support member

32 ceiling 51 upper extension

33 fixation element 52 body of support element

34 rear wall 53 hook

36 lateral wall 54 lower strip

40 evaporator 56 rear wall

41 outlet 60 drawer

42 rear region 61 base

43 lateral edge 62 support tab

Claims

1. A cooling device having a body (10); a heat insulated cooling chamber (30) provided on the body (10); and a planar evaporator (40) extending in a transverse manner between mutual lateral walls (35) in a distanced manner with a ceiling (32) so as to define a supported compartment from a rear wall (34) inside the cooling chamber (30), characterized by comprising a support member (50) which is fixed inside the cooling chamber (30) and a rear region (42) of the evaporator (40), which is close to the rear wall (34) of the cooling chamber (30), is seated thereon.

2. A cooling device according to Claim 1 , wherein the support member (50) comprises EPS material at least in the part which contacts to the rear region (42).

3. A cooling device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a support tab (62), where the lower part of the support member (50) is seated, is provided on the mutual lateral walls (36) thereof so that the support member (50) is fixed inside the cooling chamber.

4. A cooling device according to Claim 3, wherein the support tab (36) is the upper edge of the lateral wall of a drawer (60) provided under the evaporator (40).

5. A cooling device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an upper extension (51 ) is provided which extends onto the evaporator (40) in an adjacent manner so as to contact directly to one inlet (44) and one outlet (41 ) pipe of the evaporator (40).

6. A cooling device according to Claim 5, wherein a hook (53) is provided which forms a tab towards the evaporator (40) part existing adjacently to the upper extension (51 ).

7. A cooling device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support member (50) extends transversely between the mutual lateral walls (36) of the cooling chamber (30).

8. A cooling device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a rear wall (56) of the support member (50) is adjacent to the rear wall (34) of the cooling chamber (30).