WO2016074893A1

WO2016074893A1 - No-frost refrigeration device

Info

Publication number: WO2016074893A1
Application number: PCT/EP2015/074428
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jochen HÄRLEN; Birtan Sert; Simon Buck
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2014-11-10
Filing date: 2015-10-22
Publication date: 2016-05-19
Also published as: DE102014222850A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigeration device, in particular a domestic refrigeration device, comprising a storage chamber (5), an evaporator chamber (4), a mechanical fan (7) for exchanging air between the storage chamber (5) and the evaporator chamber (4) and a defrosted water outlet (11) which leads from the evaporator chamber (4) into the open. A condensation body (13) is arranged in the transitional area between the evaporator chamber (4) and the defrosted water outlet (11) in order to extract the moisture from incoming outside air flowing through the defrosted water outlet (11).

Description

N o F rust Kä I teg e advises

The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular a domestic refrigeration appliance, with a storage chamber for refrigerated goods, an evaporator chamber separate from the storage chamber and a fan for driving air exchange between the storage chamber and the evaporator chamber, also commonly referred to as NoFrost refrigeration appliance.

The exchange of air between the storage chamber and the evaporator chamber means that moisture that enters the storage chamber with the refrigerated goods or through air exchange with the environment when the door opens, settles on the evaporator. In order to ensure efficient operation of the refrigeration device, the evaporator must be defrosted from time to time and the thereby released condensation water must be removed from the evaporator chamber. Via a condensation water drain, which leads from the evaporator chamber into the open, even warmer ambient air with high moisture content can get into the evaporator chamber, especially if after closing the door of the refrigerator, the air in the storage chamber cools and thereby a negative pressure in storage and Evaporator chamber is created.

If moisture that enters the evaporator chamber in this way condenses and freezes on the fan, this can lead to a blockage of the fan. Then the proper cooling of the storage chamber is no longer guaranteed. This danger is particularly not negligible because the fan is not heated during defrosting of the evaporator, so that in the course of several defrosting cycles of the evaporator on the fan ice can form in an amount sufficient to block it.

A known way to prevent an influx of ambient air to the evaporator chamber via the condensation water drain is to block it with a siphon. However, such a siphon only works if enough liquid water is present in the condensation water drain to fill it. Immediately after commissioning of a refrigeration device, before the first defrost, the siphon is generally still empty and thus ineffective. But even if the siphon is full, the pressure difference between Evaporator chamber and environment that he can maintain limited. It may therefore, especially if the door is well sealed in a conventional manner, the pressure difference between the evaporator chamber and the surrounding area become so large that it exceeds the blocking capacity of the siphon and despite the water filling ambient air enters the evaporator chamber.

The object of the invention is to provide a NoFrost refrigeration device in which eliminates the risk of blockage of the fan due to icing or at least significantly reduced.

The object is achieved by providing in a refrigerator, in particular a household refrigeration appliance, with a storage chamber, an evaporator chamber, a fan for driving air exchange between the storage chamber and the evaporator chamber and a condensation water discharge, which leads from the evaporator chamber into the open, in a transition region between the Evaporator chamber and the condensation water discharge a condensation body is arranged to dehumidify through the condensation water outside air flowing. The moisture that is trapped in this way by the condensation body, can no longer be reflected on the fan, so that accordingly the risk of blocking the fan is reduced. In order to quickly distribute the absorbed during the condensation of moisture latent heat and to maintain a required for the condensation low surface temperature during the influx of ambient air, the condensation body should be good heat conducting, especially metallic. The condensation body may have closed surfaces along which the incoming outside air can sweep along to release its moisture. Particularly effective dehumidification is possible if the condensation body is permeable to air, i. Has cavities or openings through which outside air can flow.

Such an air-permeable condensation body can be designed in particular as a grid or as a fleece. The condensation water drain generally comprises a pipeline, with which the condensation water from the evaporator chamber off and is passed through a thermal barrier coating of the refrigerator through the outside. Preferably, a longitudinal axis of this pipeline crosses the condensation body, so that when it flows along the longitudinal axis of outside air is fully hit by this and gives off moisture before it can be distributed in the evaporator chamber and mix with the existing cold air.

A dimension of the condensation body may be larger across the pipe than the corresponding dimension of the pipe. Thus, in general, only part of the condensation body is flushed or flushed by the incoming outside air, so that the major part of the moisture is deposited in this area of the condensation body. The parts of the condensation body, which are not directly exposed to the outside air flow, can serve as a heat exchanger to dissipate the liberated in the condensation of moisture latent heat. To be effective in the long term, the condensing body must be defrosted from time to time and should be connected to a defrost heater.

A metallic body, by which the condensation body is thermally conductively connected to the evaporator, on the one hand can provide for a rapid dissipation of the latent heat of the condensing water and thus for an effective even over a longer period of time dehumidification of the incoming outside air; but it can also heat, which is released by a defrost heater of the evaporator, the condensation body, so that the defrost heater of the evaporator can also serve as a defrost heater of the condensation body.

As such a metallic body is in particular a bottom plate of the evaporator chamber into consideration.

Such a bottom plate may have a hole, with the edges of the condensation body is connected. The connection may be a good heat conducting clamp or solder connection; but it is also conceivable to form the condensation body in one piece with the bottom plate. It may be expedient that the condensation body is mounted at a distance from a surface of the evaporator chamber leading to thawing of the evaporator, so that condensate arising from the evaporator does not catch on the condensation body and freezes again at the end of a defrost cycle.

At an upper end of the condensate drain a widening can be formed, in which the Kondensationskorper engages. The expansion provides sufficient space for the incoming air to pass or pass through the condensing body at low velocity, thereby releasing moisture while preventing the ambient air from spreading in the evaporator chamber prior to dehumidifying.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Show it:

1 shows a schematic partial section through a refrigeration device according to a first

Embodiment of the invention; and FIGS. 2 to 6 are partial sections analogous to FIG. 1 according to further embodiments of FIGS

Invention.

Fig. 1 shows a partial section in the depth direction through the body of a household refrigerator according to the invention. A surrounded by a thermal insulation layer 1 of foam inner container 2 surrounds in a conventional manner in the body of the refrigerator a cavity which is divided by an inserted therein intermediate wall 3 in an evaporator chamber 4 and a storage chamber 5.

The vaporizer chamber 4 contains a vane evaporator 6 with lamellae arranged in parallel between the planes and a fan 7. Through openings of the intermediate wall 3, through which air from the storage chamber 5, sucked by the fan 7, enters the vaporizer chamber 4 and is sucked through the vane evaporator 6 , are located on a door near edge of the intermediate wall 3, left of in the Figure shown detail. In this region, not shown, of the evaporator chamber 4, a supply air channel can also open from a further storage chamber of the refrigerator.

On the right beyond the section shown, a distributor channel closes, via which the air cooled in the evaporator 6 flows back to the storage chamber 5 or optionally to a side storage chamber (not shown).

The lower edges of the fins of the evaporator 6 are in contact with a bottom plate 8, for example made of aluminum sheet, which is heated by a foil heater 9 for defrosting the evaporator 6. Defrost water released during defrosting of the evaporator 6 flows on the bottom plate 8 and the intermediate wall 3, which slopes down to the rear wall of the refrigeration appliance body, under the fan 7 up to an opening 10 at the lowest point of the intermediate wall 3 and from there via a condensation water outlet 11 to an unillustrated evaporator outside the foam layer 1. The condensation water drain 1 1 is formed here by a hose or a pipe 31 which is attached to a nozzle 12 of the intermediate wall 3. The condensation water drain 1 1 is isolated over its entire length from the storage chamber 5 through the thermal barrier coating 1; it may extend within the heat-insulating layer 1 in a rear wall of the body or on at least part of its length beyond the rear wall.

A condensation body 13 is formed here by two intersecting, thin-walled aluminum sheets 14, 15 which form a 10 engaging in the opening 10 tip and projecting in the extension of a longitudinal axis 17 of the condensation water outlet 1 1 above the opening 10, so that when ambient air over the Thaw water drain 1 1 penetrates into the evaporator chamber 4, it sweeps along the surfaces of the sheets 14, 15 while moisture on the sheets 14, 15 separates.

As shown, one of the sheets 14, 14 may be curved in an upper area to direct the incoming ambient air away from the fan 7. The other plate 15 is thus hardly exposed to the influx of ambient air in its upper region; by discharging the latent heat received at different points of the condensation body 13 during the condensation to the air of the storage chamber, carries the Upper area of the plate 15 for effective condensation, although at least himself precipitates in himself a small amount of moisture.

The tip 16 may be frictionally inserted into the opening 10 to fix the condensation body 13. Laterally over the edges of the opening 10 protruding portions of the plates 14, 15 limit the insertion depth.

Fig. 2 shows a modification of the construction of Fig. 1, in which the condensation water outlet 1 1 at its upper end, in the amount of the nozzle 12, is widened. The expansion 18 allows a long dwell time of the incoming ambient air and a correspondingly thorough dehumidification in contact with the sheets 14, 15; At the same time, the widening 18 initially prevents a mixing of the ambient air with that of the evaporator chamber 4.

Fig. 3 shows a modification in which the condensation body 13 is formed by a piece of non-woven fabric 19 of metal chips or fine wires. For example, the condensation body 13 may be formed by a lump of swirl chips. In order to prevent defrosting of the evaporator 6, that the web absorbs 19 condensation and prevents it from reaching the condensation water outlet 1 1, here in the intermediate wall 3, a channel 20 is formed, at the bottom of the condensation water without contact with the web 19, the both sides of the Rinne 20 rests on the intermediate wall 3, can drain to the condensation water 1 1.

Here, too, when moist ambient air flows through the condensation water drain 1 1, 21 substantially in a central region of the web 19, in extension of the longitudinal axis 17 of the condensation water outlet 1 1, and sideways against the condensation water outlet 1 1 offset, little frosted parts of the Nonwoven fabric 19 serves as a heat exchanger, which keeps the central area of the nonwoven 19 cold enough for condensation to take place there, or which can absorb heat from the air of the evaporator chamber 4 during defrosting so as to thaw the frost 21 in the middle of the nonwoven fabric 19 ,

In the embodiment of Fig. 4, the bottom plate 8 is extended to below the condensation body 13 so that condensation from the evaporator on the Bottom plate 8 flows to an opening 22 therein, followed by the condensation water outlet 1 1 connects.

Furthermore, an intermediate wall 23 here divides the evaporator chamber 4 into a suction region 24 in front of the fan 7, to which the evaporator 6 belongs, and a pressure region 25 beyond the fan 7, from which connect the distribution lines leading to the storage chambers.

The condensation body 13 may also be a nonwoven 19, which is fixed by clamping between the bottom plate 8 and the intermediate wall 23.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, in turn, a widening 18 at the upper end of the condensation water drain 1 1, under the bottom plate 8, provided, and the opening 22 in the bottom plate 8 is increased according to the dimensions of this expansion 18. As a result of the large cross-section of the opening 22 incoming ambient air can pass a wire mesh or mesh 26, which is attached in this embodiment as a condensation body 13 to the opening 22 at low speed and its moisture correspondingly efficiently deposited. In order to additionally slow down an air flow through the wire mesh 26, in the widening 18, a baffle plate 27 crossing the longitudinal axis 17 of the condensation water drain 11 may be provided. Instead of a single layer, as shown in Fig. 5, a plurality of layers of the wire mesh 26 may be arranged one above the other.

The attachment of the wire mesh 26 to the bottom plate 8 by clamping, soldering or the like ensures efficient heat transfer, both in dissipating the latent heat of precipitated moisture from the wire mesh 26 to the bottom plate 8 as well as in the opposite direction during defrosting with the aid of the film heater. 9

The film heater 9 extends in the illustration of FIG. 5 only under the finned evaporator 6. If it proves necessary for a secure defrosting of the condensation body 13, but it can also be mounted around the opening 22 around. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the wire mesh 26 is replaced by a multiplicity of openings 28 punched into the base plate 8 via the condensation water outlet 11. From the openings 28 punched out material of the bottom plate 8 can be removed so that between them standing webs 30 of the bottom plate 8 serve as a condensation body 13; in the case shown here, the openings 28 are elongate, and when cut out tongues 29 are cut out of the plane of the bottom plate 8 upwards or downwards to be available as an additional surface of the condensation body 13.

The film heater 9 could here, if necessary, be mounted continuously from the evaporator 6 to the webs 30.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 thermal barrier coating

2 inner containers

3 intermediate wall

4 evaporator chamber

5 storage chamber

6 finned evaporator

7 fans

8 base plate

9 foil heating

10 opening

1 1 condensation water drain

12 nozzles

13 condensation body

14 aluminum sheet

15 aluminum sheet

16 tip

17 longitudinal axis

18 expansion

19 fleece

20 gutter

21 hoarfrost

22 opening

23 partition

24 intake area

25 pressure range

26 wire mesh

27 baffle plate

28 opening

29 tongue

30 footbridge

31 pipeline

Claims

1. Refrigerating appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, with a storage chamber (5), an evaporator chamber (4), a fan (7) for driving air exchange between the storage chamber (5) and the evaporator chamber (4) and a condensate drain (1 1), the from the evaporator chamber (4) leads to the outside, characterized in that in a transition region between the evaporator chamber (4) and the condensation water drain (1 1) a condensation body (13) is arranged to dehumidify by the condensation water discharge (1 1) incoming outside air ,

2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the condensation body (13) is cooled by the evaporator (6).

3. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the condensation body (13) is metallic.

4. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the condensation body (13) is permeable to air.

5. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that the condensation body (13) comprises a grid (26) or a fleece (19).

6. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the condensation water drain (1 1) comprises a pipe (31) whose longitudinal axis (17) crosses the condensation body (13).

7. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that a dimension of the condensation body (13) transversely to the pipe (31) is greater than the corresponding dimension of the pipe (31).

8. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the condensation body (13) with a defrost heater (9) is connected.

9. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the condensation body (13) by a metallic body (8) with the evaporator (6) is thermally conductively connected.

10. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 9, characterized in that the metallic body is a bottom plate (8) of the evaporator chamber (4).

1 1. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 10, characterized in that the bottom plate (8) has a hole (22), is connected to the edges of the condensation body (13).

12. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the condensation body (13) spaced from a defrosting of the evaporator (6) condensation water leading surface (20) of the evaporator chamber (4) is mounted.

13. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transition region comprises a widening (18) at an upper end of the condensate drain (1 1), in which the condensation body (13) engages.