WO2015082140A1

WO2015082140A1 - A refrigerator wherein ice is obtained quickly

Info

Publication number: WO2015082140A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/073279
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mustafa Arslan; Metin Kaya; Murat Ungor; Tevfik Fikret Dogruyol; Deniz AKTUNA
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2013-12-05
Filing date: 2014-10-30
Publication date: 2015-06-11

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator (1) wherein ice is obtained quickly, comprising a fresh food compartment (2) and an ice making unit (9) that is placed into the fresh food compartment (2) and that comprises an upper receptacle (10) having more than one cell (8) that enables ice to be made by freezing the water filled therein.

Description

A REFRIGERATOR WHEREIN ICE IS OBTAINED QUICKLY

The present invention relates to a refrigerator comprising an ice making unit that is used in making ice.

In refrigerators, ice is generally made by pouring water into the ice tray by the user and placing the ice tray in the freezing compartment or fresh food compartment. The cooling and freezing phases that start after water is poured into the ice tray are maintained entirely with the cooling provided by the refrigerator. In the cooling phase, heat is absorbed from water proportionally to the specific heat of water and in the freezing phase, heat is absorbed proportionally to the latent heat. The cooling phase of water is generally short but the freezing phase is relatively longer. This situation makes it difficult to make ice in the refrigerator in a short period of time. In order to make ice in the fresh food compartment or on the fresh food compartment door, cool air is transferred to the ice making compartment. The time of making ice is prolonged when the heat transfer is not realized effectively or heat losses during the air transfer are not prevented. This causes energy and time loss.

In the Japanese Patent Application No. JP2007178041, an ice making vessel is explained. The ice making vessel is composed of an internal vessel and an external vessel, and a cold heat storage agent that can store low temperature for a long period of time is disposed between the internal vessel and the external vessel.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a refrigerator wherein the ice is obtained quickly.

The refrigerator realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises a fresh food compartment wherein the foodstuffs to be cooled are placed and an ice making unit that is disposed in the fresh food compartment and that has an upper receptacle divided into more than one cell that enables ice to be made by freezing the water filled therein.

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a hollow lower receptacle in form of a open-top box whereon the upper receptacle is placed, surrounding the walls of the upper receptacle from outside. The refrigerant circulates in the ice making unit, between the upper receptacle and the lower receptacle by skimming the walls of the upper receptacle. Since the lower receptacle and the upper receptacle are produced as a single piece, the heat transfer between the lower receptacle and the upper receptacle is effectively realized.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the ice making unit comprises at least one inlet port thereon that enables the refrigerant to be delivered from the refrigerant circulation duct to the ice making unit and at least one outlet port that enables the refrigerant to be transferred back to the refrigerant circulation duct after completing its circulation in the ice making unit.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the ice making unit comprises partitions in matching form with the cells, that correspond to each cell, and a refrigerant passage gap that extends along the ice making unit and that enables the refrigerant to be carried between the upper receptacle and the lower receptacle. The refrigerant is carried through the refrigerant passage gap.

The refrigerator realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 – is the schematic view of a refrigerator.

Figure 2 – is the schematic view of the refrigerator, the refrigerant circulation duct and the ice making unit related to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 – is the exploded view of the ice making unit related to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 – is the schematic view of the ice making unit related to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 – is the view of cross-section A of the ice making unit in Figure 4.

Figure 6 – is the view of cross-section B of the ice making unit in Figure 4.

Figure 7 – is the view of detail C in Figure 6.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Refrigerator
Fresh food compartment
Compressor
Condenser
Expansion member
Evaporator
Refrigerant circulation duct
Cell
Ice making unit
Upper receptacle
Lower receptacle
Refrigerant flow channel
Sealing element
Inlet port
Outlet port
Partition
Refrigerant passage gap

The refrigerator (1) comprises a fresh food compartment (2), a freezing compartment, a compressor (3) that realized the refrigeration cycle, a condenser (4), an expansion member (5), for example a capillary pipe, an evaporator (6), a refrigerant circulation duct (7) having pipes wherein the refrigerant is circulated, and an ice making unit (9) that is disposed in the fresh food compartment (2) or on the fresh food compartment (2) door and that has more than one cell (8) that enables ice to be made by freezing the water filled therein.

The ice making unit (9) of the present invention comprises an upper receptacle (10) having the cells (8) thereon, a lower receptacle (11) whereon the upper receptacle (10) is placed, and a refrigerant flow channel (12) that is arranged between the upper receptacle (10) and the lower receptacle (11) and that enables ice to be obtained in the fresh food compartment (2) by circulating the refrigerant, that partially leaves the refrigerant circulation duct (7), around the cell (8) walls. The refrigerant is circulated around the cells (8) by passing through the refrigerant flow channel (12), thus ice is made quickly in the ice making unit (9) disposed into the fresh food compartment (2).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the ice making unit (9) comprises a sealing element (13) that is placed on the lower receptacle (11) so as to remain between the lower receptacle (11) and the upper receptacle (10). By means of the sealing element (13), the refrigerant in the lower receptacle (11) is prevented from leaking outside the ice making unit (9).

In a derivative of this embodiment, the sealing element (13) is film-shaped and acrylic-based, and allows the upper receptacle (10) and the lower receptacle (11) to stick to each other more easily in high pressure and temperature.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the ice making unit (9) comprises at least one inlet port (14) thereon that enables the refrigerant to be delivered from the refrigerant circulation duct (7) to the ice making unit (9) and at least one outlet port (15) that enables the refrigerant to be transferred back to the refrigerant circulation duct (7) after completing its circulation in the ice making unit (9).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the ice making unit (9) comprises more than one partition (16) that bears each cell (8) in the upper receptacle (10) separately and more than one refrigerant passage gap (17) that extends along the ice making unit (9), that is arranged between the cells (8) and the partitions (16), wherein the refrigerant is carried. By means of the refrigerant passage gap (17), the refrigerant is circulated in a limited area in the ice making unit (9), between the cells (8) and the partitions (16) so as to touch the cell (8) walls, and draws heat from the upper receptacle (10).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerant partially leaves the evaporator (6) disposed in the refrigerant circulation duct (7).

In an embodiment of the present invention, after the ice making process, in order to easily take the ice cubes out of the cells (8), the refrigerant that heats up by circulating in the ice making unit (9) is pumped into the refrigerant passage gap (17) by reverse circulation just as in the “hot gas defrost” method. Thus, due to the sudden temperature increase around the cells (8), the ice cubes are easily separated from the cells (8).

By means of the refrigerator (1) of the present invention, the refrigerant is passed between the upper receptacle (10) and the lower receptacle (11), thus the effectiveness of the heat transfer in the ice making unit (9) is improved. By means of the ice making unit (9), ice can be obtained in the fresh food compartment (2) that is kept at temperatures higher than 0 °C.

Claims

A refrigerator (1) comprising a fresh food compartment (2), a freezing compartment, a compressor (3) that realizes the refrigeration cycle, a condenser (4), an expansion member (5), an evaporator (6), a refrigerant circulation duct (7) having pipes wherein the refrigerant is circulated, and an ice making unit (9) that is disposed in the fresh food compartment (2) or on the fresh food compartment (2) door and that has more than one cell (8) that enables ice to be made by freezing the water filled therein, characterized by the ice making unit (9) having an upper receptacle (10) that has the cells (8) thereon, a lower receptacle (11) whereon the upper receptacle (10) is placed, and a refrigerant flow channel (12) that is arranged between the upper receptacle (10) and the lower receptacle (11) and that enables ice to be obtained in the fresh food compartment (2) by circulating the refrigerant, that partially leaves the refrigerant circulation duct (7), around the cell (8) walls.
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the ice making unit (9) comprising a sealing element (13) that is placed on the lower receptacle (11) so as to remain between the lower receptacle (11) and the upper receptacle (10).
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 2, characterized by the sealing element (13) that is film-shaped and acrylic-based.
A refrigerator (1) as in Claims 1 to 3, characterized by the ice making unit (9) that has at least one inlet port (14) that is arranged on the ice making unit (9) and that enables the refrigerant to be delivered from the refrigerant circulation duct (7) to the ice making unit (9) and at least one outlet port (15) that enables the refrigerant to be transferred back to the refrigerant circulation duct (7) after completing its circulation in the ice making unit (9).
A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the ice making unit (9) that has more than one partition (16) that bears each cell (8) in the upper receptacle (10) separately and more than one refrigerant passage gap (17) that extends along the ice making unit (9), that is arranged between the cells (8) and the partitions (16), wherein the refrigerant is carried.
A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the evaporator (6) that the refrigerant partially leaves, and that is disposed in the refrigerant circulation duct (7).
A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the refrigerant flow channel (12) wherein the refrigerant heating up by circulating the ice making unit (9) is pumped by reverse circulation.