WO2014173761A1

WO2014173761A1 - An efficient cooling device having a coil

Info

Publication number: WO2014173761A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/057757
Authority: WO
Inventors: Zeki Asan; Salih AVCIOGLU; Murat Darka; Hulusi Coskun KARA; Sezgin KARAKIRAZ; Sebahattin Kilic
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2013-04-26
Filing date: 2014-04-16
Publication date: 2014-10-30

Abstract

The invention is a cooling device (1) comprising a cooling chamber defined by an inner liner (10); a coil (20) having a lateral coil (210) provided on a right outer face (11), a left outer face (13) and a rear outer face (12) of the inner liner (10) and having an inlet (201) and an outlet (202) for a coolant; and that the coil (20) comprises a top coil (220) provided on a top outer face (14) of the inner liner (10).

Description

SPECIFICATION

AN EFFICIENT COOLING DEVICE HAVING A COIL TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cooling device having a cooling chamber cooled by utilizing a heat transfer coil.

PRIOR ART

In a cooling device, particularly in a domestic refrigerator, there is a cooling chamber and an inner liner determining the limits of said cooling chamber.

The inner liner has a coil which is in contact with the outer face remaining outside with respect to the cooling chamber. Thus, heat transfer is realized between the cooling chamber and the coolant passing through the coil, and thereby the air inside the cooling chamber is cooled.

In general, the coil is provided in a manner contacting a partial section of the rear outer face of the inner liner (Figure 4). The coil meanders for circulating the coolant along the whole surface, and contacts with the widest possible area. A heat-conductive layer, for instance a metal plate can be used between the coil and the inner liner, in order for the heat transfer to be realized in a homogeneous manner.

In another embodiment described in the application with publication number CN201867010, the coil is provided on the right, left and rear outer face of the inner liner. In said application, a refrigeration box with a door is described. The cooling box has a metal inner liner. The evaporator coil comprises U-shaped pipe sections positioned in the horizontal direction on three lateral outer faces.

The present invention brings an additional improvement, an additional advantage or an alternative to the present art described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide a cooling device providing the air inside the cooling chamber to be cooled in the shortest time. In order to realize said object, the present invention relates to a cooling device comprising a cooling chamber defined by an inner liner; a coil having a lateral coil provided on a right outer face, a left outer face and a rear outer face of the inner liner and having an inlet and an outlet for a coolant. The present invention is characterized in that the coil comprises a top coil provided on a top outer face of the inner liner. Thus, in the top section where the hot air inside the cooling chamber rises and becomes densest, a greater area is provided for heat transfer when compared with the present art. By means of this, the air inside the cooling chamber can be decreased to the desired temperature in the shortest time.

The cooling device may be a domestic refrigerator. Thus, in domestic refrigerators where the air inside the cooling chamber is heated due to frequent door opening, the inner temperature is brought to the ideal values in a rapid manner, and the storing durations of the foodstuff inside the refrigerator is lengthened.

The coil can be used as the evaporator of the cooling cycle in the cooling device. The inlet, through which the coolant is fed to the coil, may be the end of the coil connected to a condenser. The inlet can be provided at the bottom section of the right, left or rear outer face of the inner liner. The inlet may extend to the top coil in an orthogonal manner, and may carry the coolant to the top coil. When the inlet is provided on the right or left outer face, it can be provided at a point close to the front opening of the inner liner. The close point may be the front orthogonal edge of the right or left outer face. The outlet, through which the coolant leaves the coil, may be the end of the coil where it is connected to a compressor. The inlet and the outlet can be provided at a position close to the bottom section of the inner liner. For instance, it can be provided at the bottom edge of the right, left or rear outer face or it can be provided at a position close to the bottom edge.

The inner liner can be obtained from a polymeric material, a plastic material, a composite material comprising plastic or a material from which the inner liner is known to be obtained in the related art. The inner liner may comprise pluralities of outer faces due to the stepped structure thereof. Particularly, it may comprise pluralities of rear and bottom outer faces.

The coolant may be any coolant fluid which is known to be used in the cooling devices in the related art. In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the coil is configured in a manner that the coolant flows from the inlet to the outlet through the top coil and the lateral coil in order. Thus, the coolant, circulated inside the coil, contacts the section where the air inside the cooling chamber is densest, when the coolant is in its lowest temperature. By means of this, the temperature difference (ΔΤ) between the coil and the cooling chamber is kept high, and a stepped cooling is provided from top towards the bottom, and a rapid and efficient cooling is provided.

In another probable embodiment of the present invention, the coil comprises a bottom coil provided on a bottom outer face of the inner liner. Thus, a rapid cooling is provided by providing heat transfer on all surfaces except the front opening of the cooling chamber. In a compliant manner to this embodiment, the coil is configured in a manner that the coolant flows from the inlet to the outlet through the top coil, the lateral coil and the bottom coil in order. Thus, the coolant, circulated inside the coil, contacts the section where the air inside the cooling chamber is densest, when the coolant is in its lowest temperature. By means of this, the temperature difference (ΔΤ) between the coil and the cooling chamber is kept high, and a stepped cooling is provided from top towards the bottom, and a rapid and efficient cooling is provided.

Additionally, in embodiments where the flow is from the top towards the bottom, less power can be used for the flow of the coolant. Since the coolant, brought from the inlet to the top coil, gains a certain potential energy, and afterwards, flows downwardly by means of the effect of gravity. Thus, the pressure difference, which has to be overcome for flow of the coolant cycle, remains low.

In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the top coil is configured to meander between facing edges of the top outer face of the inner liner. Moreover, in another probable embodiment comprising bottom coil, the bottom coil is configured to meander between facing edges of the bottom outer face of the inner liner. Thus, on the bottom and top outer face, a long flow path is followed for the coolant, and the heat transfer duration and area are increased. This supports rapid and efficient cooling. As the top and bottom coil are provided simultaneously in the present invention, an invention having only the top coil without a bottom coil is also possible. The facing edges can be front-back or right-left edges. In other words, the loops can be from the front to the back, and they may be from the back to the front; or they may be from the right to the left and from the left to the right. In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the coil comprises series of U-shaped loops horizontally configured. Thus, the pressure differences inside the coil are decreased because of horizontal positioning. Since the pressure difference is low, less power is consumed for the circulation of the coolant. Moreover, because of the flow generally realized in a horizontal manner, the noise values of the coil are reduced, and the cooling device functions with low level of noise or without any noise. The low noise level is an important factor for user preference and satisfaction. The horizontally configured U-shaped loops may mean that the imaginary plane where the U-shaped structure is provided is parallel with respect to the floor or is orthogonal with respect to the gravity force. This meaning may be valid for the top and bottom outer faces. Another meaning is that the two parallel arms forming the U shape are parallel with respect to the floor or orthogonal with respect to the gravity force, and that the loop connecting the two parallel arms extends orthogonally between the two arms. This meaning can be valid for the right, left and rear outer faces.

In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the coil comprises a single continuous flow path as a whole for the coolant. Thus, since heat transfer is realized by means of a single coolant flow, the cooling efficiency provided by the coolant is at a high level. The reason of the efficiency is that the path and contact surface of the coolant are increased and the maximum heat or the nearly maximum heat which can be absorbed by the coolant is transferred to the coolant.

In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the lateral coil comprises a pipe being a single piece pipe lying horizontally from the right outer face to the left outer face over the rear outer face of the inner liner. Thus, the coolant contacts all of the lateral faces at the same height level. When it is taken into consideration that the inner temperature of the cooling chamber is stepped in an orthogonal manner, a rapid and homogeneous cooling is provided since the coolant realizes heat transfer by means of the same temperature step from three sides of the chamber.

In another probable embodiment of the present invention, the lateral coil comprises more than one pipe being parallel to each other. Thus, heat transfer for cooling different temperature layers of the cooling chamber becomes possible. When it is taken into consideration that the inner temperature of the cooling chamber is stepped in an orthogonal manner, a rapid and homogeneous cooling is provided since the coolant realizes heat transfer for every temperature layer of the chamber.

In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the lateral coil comprises a single and continuous flow path for the coolant coming from the top coil provided by the connection of the parallel pipes to each other. Thus, the same coolant flows step by step according to the temperature layers downwardly from the top section by means of a single flow path. Since heat transfer is realized by advancing beginning from the highest temperature difference towards the minimum temperature difference, the cooling efficiency provided by the coolant is kept high. This is effective in rapid and homogeneous cooling.

In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the coil comprises a fixing element providing connection between the coil and the inner liner. Thus, the position of the coil on the inner liner is preserved. The fixing element can be any fixing element which is known to be used in the related art for fixing the coil to the inner liner. The fixing element can be particularly a hot-melt adhesive or a butyl adhesive. The hot-melt adhesive does not provide thermal conductivity; however, this can be ignored, since a slight amount thereof provides sufficient fixing. Since the butyl adhesive gains a thermal conductive structure after being hardened, it may provide connection without preventing heat transfer. The fixing element can be provided along the whole coil. In another embodiment, the fixing element can be used at certain intervals. Only by fixing the top coil, the top coil can carry the whole coil. For instance, the top coil can be fixed to the top outer face. From one side, the inlet provided on the right, left or rear outer face, and one or more than one of the U-shaped loops close to the inlet can be connected to each other. Thus, by means of the top coil, a coil structure can be obtained which is similar to a cage kept in a hung manner on the inner liner.

In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the inner liner comprises a heat- conductive layer provided between the inner liner and the coil. Thus, the heat transfer surface is spread onto the whole inner liner, and heat transfer can be realized from every point. This provides a homogeneous heat distribution and rapid cooling. This heat-conductive layer can be a foil obtained from a material like aluminum transferring heat. The foil can be coated to the outer face of the inner liner. On the other hand, the heat-conductive layer can be a sheath having a form similar to the inner liner. The sheath can be shaped in a separating manner when desired. The sheath can be obtained from a metal material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In Figure 1 , the isometric view of the cooling device from the right-rear side is given. A partial cut-out is realized in the cooling device in order to illustrate a coil circulating the top, right, left and rear outer face of the inner liner. Except the coil, the items of the cooling cycle are not illustrated in the figure.

In Figure 2, the isometric view of a coil circulating the top, right, left and rear outer face of the inner liner together with the inner liner from the left-rear side is given.

In Figure 3, the left-rear lateral isometric view where the coil, the inner liner and the heat- conductive sheath are separated from each other is given.

In Figure 4, the left-rear lateral isometric view of a coil and of an inner liner of the present art is given.

THE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The direction statements like front, top, bottom described in this document are described by taking as reference the outer face of the inner liner (10) seen on the upper section of the view presented in Figure 1 as "top", the outer face of the inner liner (10) seen on the left section as the "right", and the outer face of the inner liner (10) seen on the right section as "rear". One or more than one of the probable embodiments of the present invention is described below in a detailed manner as example.

In Figure 1 , the isometric view of the inner liner (10) of a cooling device (1 ) is given from the rear side in a manner that a coil (20) is provided thereon. The inner liner (10) is obtained from a plastic material or a composite material comprising plastic. A metal heat-conductive layer (40), exemplified in Figure 3, is placed onto the inner liner (10) in a manner completely covering the outer face of the inner liner (10). A coil (20) is provided on the heat-conductive layer (40).

The coil (20) is used as the evaporator of the cooling cycle used in the cooling device (1 ). It is obtained by bending of a single-piece pipe (21 1 ). Therefore, a single flow path is provided for the coolant.

The coolant, coming from the condenser, is fed to the coil (20) through an inlet (201 ) provided at the bottom edge of the right outer face (1 1 ) of the inner liner (10) and extending towards the top outer face (14) in an orthogonal manner. The inlet (201 ) extends on the front edge of the right outer face (1 1 ) and in a parallel manner with respect to the edge. The pipe (21 1 ) reaching the top outer face (14) through the front end of the right edge advances by meandering in U shape between the front and rear edges of the top outer face (14). Thus, it forms the top coil (220). Since the top outer face (14) is horizontal, the coil pipe (21 1 ) advances in a horizontal manner.

The pipe (21 1 ) reaching the left edge of the upper outer face (14) extends from the front end of the left edge towards the front edge of the left outer face (13) as seen in Figure 2. After the pipe (21 1 ) reaches the left outer face (13), it is bent again, and extends until the front edge of the right outer face (1 1 ) in a horizontal manner. Here, if the right, left and rear outer face (12) is considered as a single face, the pipe (21 1 ) advances downwardly by meandering in horizontal U-shape on this single face. In other words, the pipe (21 1 ) meanders in horizontal U-shape between the front edges of the right outer face (1 1 ) and the left outer face (13) and continues until the bottom edge. Thus, as seen in Figure 1 and Figure 2, parallel horizontal pipes (21 1 ) and loops connecting these to each other in a manner forming a single flow path are formed. All of these parallel pipes (21 1 ) and loops provide formation of the lateral coil (210).

The outlet (202), connected to the compressor, reaches the section provided under the inner liner (10) just besides the inlet (201 ).

In an alternative of the present invention, the pipe (21 1 ), reaching the bottom edge of the right outer face (1 1 ), continues to advance on the bottom outer face (15) in a similar manner to the top coil (220), and forms a bottom coil (not illustrated in the figures). After the bottom coil as the top coil (220) follows the face where it is provided, the outlet (202) transfers the coolant to the compressor.

The coil (20) is fixed to the heat-conductive layer (40) by means of a fixing element (30), particularly by means of a hot-melt adhesive or a butyl adhesive. In order for it to remain on the heat-conductive layer (40) in a stable manner, it is applied between the heat-conductive layer (40) and the pipes (21 1 ) in all regions of the coil (20) at certain intervals. REFERENCE NUMBERS

I . Cooling device

10. Inner liner

I I . Right outer face

12. Rear outer face

13. Left outer face

14. Top outer face

15. Bottom outer face

20. Coil

201. Inlet

202. Outlet

210. Lateral coil

211. Pipe

220. Top coil 30. Fixing element

40. Heat-conductive layer

Claims

1. A cooling device (1 ) comprising a cooling chamber defined by an inner liner (10); a coil (20) having a lateral coil (210) provided on a right outer face (1 1 ), a left outer face (13) and a rear outer face (12) of the inner liner (10) and having an inlet (201 ) and an outlet (202) for a coolant; and characterized in that the coil (20) comprises a top coil (220) provided on a top outer face (14) of the inner liner (10) of the coil (20).

2. The cooling device (1 ) according to claim 1 ; wherein the coil (20) is configured in a manner that the coolant flows from the inlet (201 ) to the outlet (202) through the top coil (220) and the lateral coil (210) in order.

3. The cooling device (1 ) according to anyone of the preceding claims; wherein the coil (20) comprises a bottom coil provided on a bottom outer face (15) of the inner liner (10).

4. The cooling device (1 ) according to claim 3; wherein the coil (20) is configured in a manner that the coolant flows from the inlet (201 ) to the outlet (202) through the top coil (220), the lateral coil (210) and the bottom coil in order.

5. The cooling device (1 ) according to claim 3 or 4; wherein the bottom coil is configured to meander between facing edges of the bottom outer face (15) of the inner liner (10).

6. The cooling device (1 ) according to anyone of the preceding claims; wherein the top coil (220) is configured to meander between facing edges of the top outer face (14) of the inner liner (10).

7. The cooling device (1 ) according to anyone of the preceding claims; wherein the coil (20) comprises series of U-shaped loops horizontally configured.

8. The cooling device (1 ) according to anyone of the preceding claims; wherein the coil (20) comprises a single continuous flow path as a whole for the coolant.

9. The cooling device (1 ) according to anyone of the preceding claims; wherein the lateral coil (210) comprises a pipe (21 1 ) being a single piece pipe (21 1 ) lying horizontally from the right outer face (1 1 ) to the left outer face (13) over the rear outer face (12) of the inner liner (10).

10. The cooling device (1 ) according to claim 9; wherein the lateral coil (210) comprises more than one pipe (21 1 ) being parallel to each other.

11. The cooling device (1 ) according to claim 10; wherein the lateral coil (210) comprises a single and continuous flow path for the coolant coming from the top coil (220) provided by the connection of the parallel pipes (21 1 ) to each other.

12. The cooling device (1 ) according to anyone of the preceding claims; wherein the coil (20) comprises a fixing element (30) providing connection between the coil (20) and the inner liner (10).

13. The cooling device (1 ) according to claim 12; wherein the fixing element (30) comprises a hot-melt adhesive or a butyl adhesive.

14. The cooling device (1 ) according to anyone of the preceding claims; wherein the inner liner (10) comprises a heat-conductive layer (40) provided between the inner liner (10) and the coil (20).

15. The cooling device (1 ) according to anyone of the preceding claims; wherein the cooling device (1 ) is a domestic refrigerator.