WO2017060067A1

WO2017060067A1 - Frost-free refrigeration appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2017060067A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/072178
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Schäfer
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2015-10-07
Filing date: 2016-09-19
Publication date: 2017-04-13
Also published as: DE102015219326A1; EP3359890B1; PL3359890T3; EP3359890A1; CN108351147B; CN108351147A; US20180259238A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, particularly a domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising a thermally-insulating housing in which at least one first and one second inner chamber (2, 3) are separated from one another by a thermally-insulating wall (8). The first inner chamber (3) is divided into a storage compartment (11) and an evaporator chamber (12). A passage (19) in the thermally-insulating wall (8) connects the evaporator chamber (12) to the second inner chamber (2). At least one closure element (56) for controlling the air exchange is housed, in said passage (19), between the evaporator chamber (12) and the second inner chamber (2).

Description

No-frost refrigerating appliance

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, in particular a domestic refrigerator, in which in a heat-insulating housing, at least a first and a second interior are separated from each other by a heat-insulating wall to form compartments for the storage of refrigerated goods at different temperatures, and in which the first Interior is divided into a storage compartment for the refrigerated goods and an evaporator chamber and a passage in the heat-insulating wall connects the evaporator chamber with the second interior to allow cooling of the second interior, without this needs its own evaporator.

Usually, in such a refrigeration device and the second interior is divided into a storage compartment for refrigerated goods and an air duct into which the passage opens and from which the cold air distributed over a plurality of openings of an air duct cover in the storage compartment of the second interior.

In order to control the distribution of cold air on the two storage compartments, a closure element is required, with which it is possible to cut off one of the storage compartments of the cold air supply or at least significantly restrict the influx of cold air to the respective storage compartment.

In a conventional refrigeration device, such a closure element comprises a flap, which is arranged in a lower region of the air channel of the second interior. In this construction, a lower part of the air duct, below the closure element, is constantly in communication with the evaporator chamber and can therefore reach temperatures that can be significantly below the setpoint temperature for the storage compartment of the second interior space. If this storage compartment, for example, a normal refrigeration compartment, but the evaporator is designed to simultaneously cool a freezer, then this lower portion of the air duct can cool to well below 0 ° C and lead to frost damage to refrigerated goods in the storage compartment of the second interior. To exclude this, it is firstly necessary to form the air duct cover thermally insulating, wherein the space required for a thermal barrier coating at this point the usable volume of the second On the other hand, a reliable seal between the air duct and the storage compartment of the second interior is required to prevent unwanted leakage of cold air into the storage compartment on the closure element over, making the installation of the air duct cover consuming and expensive. Object of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration device of the type mentioned, which is simple and inexpensive to install and has given large external dimensions a large usable volume.

The object is achieved by a refrigeration device, in which in a heat-insulating housing at least a first and a second interior are separated from each other by a heat-insulating wall and the first interior is divided into a storage compartment and an evaporator chamber and a passage in the heat-insulating wall Evaporator chamber connects to the second interior, at least one closure element for controlling the air exchange between the evaporator chamber and the second interior is housed in the passage.

This construction ensures that a boundary between the temperature zones of the first and second inner spaces runs exactly inside the heat-insulating wall. This eliminates the need to provide an elaborate thermal insulation within one of the interiors, and the thus saved space benefits the usable volume. Since at most those parts, which are installed in one of the two interiors, only low temperature gradients occur, a costly seal on them is no longer necessary to prevent unwanted heat flow, and as far as a seal is desired, it can be done precisely.

The closure member may include a flap that is rotatable about an axis between an open position and a closed position.

In order to facilitate installation and for a good sealing effect of the flap in the closed position, it is advantageous if the closure element further comprises a frame which surrounds the flap in its closed position all around. This frame can act as a sealing frame. The second interior is here also preferably divided by an air duct cover in a storage compartment and at least one air duct to facilitate a uniform distribution of the injected cold air throughout the storage compartment.

Preferably, two parallel air passages are provided, one extending from the passage to a lower portion of the second inner space and the other extending from the passage at the lower portion to an upper portion of the second inner space.

In order to be able to control a temperature gradient between the upper and the lower region of the second interior and thus to be able to use, for example, a region of its storage compartment as a normal cooling compartment and another as a fresh cooling compartment, a closure element is preferably associated with each air channel. In this case, each air duct can be assigned its own closure element, but it is also possible for a single closure element to control a plurality of air ducts

For ease of assembly, the closure element or elements are preferably combined with a motor driving them to form an assembly which is mounted in the passage between the interior spaces. In this case, a single motor may be associated with both closure elements and connected to the closure elements via a transmission, e.g. by means of two eccentrics, which are arranged to drive phase-shifted movements of the closure elements, so that at least one position of the motor, in which both closure elements are closed, a position in which the first closure element is open and the second is closed, and a position in the first closure element is closed and the second is open, and possibly a position in which both closure elements are open, exist.

It may also block one and the same closure element in a first position, the passage between the first and second interior, connect the first interior with a first air channel of the second interior and in a third position, the first interior with a second air channel of the second interior in a second position , If the first inner space and the second inner space are each bounded by an inner container, which is typically thermoformed from plastic sheet material, a tube-like housing may be provided in the passage between them, extending between mutually opposite windows of the inner container through a thermal barrier coating of the wall.

The housing preferably comprises two flanges, which rest against a respective one of the two inner containers. The flanges may abut the inner spaces facing sides of the inner container, so that the inner container, when the wall between them is filled with foam, are pressed against the flanges; Preferably, they are foam on the inner container.

In order to facilitate the manufacture of the housing with simple tools, the housing may be composed of two housing parts, each of which has one of the flanges.

A foamed member, for example, a molded article of expanded polystyrene, may be disposed between a rear side of the air passage and a rear wall of the inner container of the second inner space. Since such a foamed part contributes to the thermal insulation of the second inner space, the thickness of the thermal barrier coating outside the inner container at the rear wall can be correspondingly reduced or the depth of the inner container can be increased. This in turn makes it possible to place the window of the second interior, at which the passage opens to the first interior, outside a transitional rounding between the bottom and rear wall of the inner container, whereby the window is easier to shape, without losing usable volume in the second interior ,

The air duct cover may contact the foamed part on either side of the air duct so as to be fixed between the air duct cover and the rear wall. The closure element should be insertable into the housing through one of the windows of the two inner containers. The easiest way is the assembly of the closure element usually on the upper window. A clamp which secures the closure element in its installed position can be latched to the walls of the passage between the closure element and the interior space from which the closure element is inserted.

If the closure element and the motor driving it are combined to form an assembly, then the clamp is preferably arranged crossing the engine, since it can effectively secure the assembly there, but at the same time does not hinder a flow of air passing through the closure element.

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 section in the vertical direction through the body of a refrigerator according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a section in the horizontal direction along the plane II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of a housing, which in a

Passage is arranged between the compartments of the refrigerator body of Figure 1, and an assembly to be mounted in the housing;

4 shows a schematic section through the housing and the assembly in the mounted in the body of the refrigerator state. and FIG. 5 shows a simplified modification of the housing and the assembly.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic vertical section through the body of a no-frost refrigeration device according to the invention. In the body 1, two interior spaces 2, 3 are formed, one in the upper 2 and the other 3 in the lower part of the body 1. In a known manner, the interiors 2, 3 each of a plastic sheet flat-drawn inner container 4 and 5 limited. Both inner container can be deep-drawn in one piece from a same blank; in the case shown in the figure, the inner container 4, 5 are made separately and in profiles of a frame 6 at the front the body 1 edged. A gap between the outsides of the inner containers 4, 5 and an outer skin of the body 1 not shown in Fig. 1 is filled with an insulating material layer 7 obtained by injecting and expanding a foaming resin into the space. The Dämmmaterialschicht 7 extends here in one piece to a wall 8 between the interiors 2, 3rd

The interior 3 is divided by a rear wall 9 of its inner container 5 substantially parallel partition 10 in a storage compartment for refrigerated goods, here a freezer compartment 1 1, and an evaporator chamber 12. A further wall 13 divides the evaporator chamber 12 into a suction region 14, in which a fin evaporator 15 is located, and a distributor region 16. A fan 17 is arranged in an opening of the wall 13 to suck air through the evaporator 15 and thus cooled To pump air into the manifold region 16. Via distributor openings 18 in the wall 13, a portion of the cooled air passes directly back into the storage chamber 1 1. The remaining air passes through a passage 19 in the wall 8 in an air duct 20 of the upper interior second

The air duct 20 is limited to a rear wall 23 of the inner container 4 through a molded part 24 made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) and delimited from a storage compartment 21 by a plate-shaped air duct cover 22. The air duct cover 22, like the wall 13, is provided with distributor openings 18, via which the cold air can emerge distributed vertically into the storage compartment 21.

Air duct 20 and air duct cover 22 may extend over the entire height of the interior 2; in the embodiment shown here, they only extend from the bottom 25 of the interior 2 to a horizontal intermediate wall 26 inserted into the inner container 4, so that the air guided in the air duct 20 can only be distributed in a lower region 27 of the storage compartment 21. In order to supply a region 28 above the intermediate wall 26, a second air duct 29 is guided through the molded part 24, partially outside the sectional plane of FIG. 1, and the air circulating in this air duct 29 is distributed in the upper region 28 of the interior 2 Distribution openings 18 of a further air duct cover 30th FIG. 2 shows a section through the lower region of the normal cooling compartment 2 at the level of the line II-II from FIG. 1. The sectional plane of FIG. 1 is designated by II in FIG. The air duct 20 is delimited here in front by the air duct cover 22 and towards the rear wall 23 and in the lateral direction by the molded part 24, on both sides of the air duct 20, the air duct cover 22 abuts against the molded part 24.

In order to fix the air duct cover 22 in the position shown and to keep the molded part 24 clamped between the air duct cover 22 and the rear wall 23, latching connections are provided. The latching connections here comprise in each case a sleeve 31 and a latching pin 32 engaging in the sleeve. The sleeve 31 is adhesively bonded, welded or secured in another suitable manner to the rear wall 23 and engages in a passage 33 of the molded part 24. The detent pin 32 has a shaft 34 with a plurality of frusto-conical segments which, upon insertion into the longitudinally slotted sleeve 31, elastically expand them until the segments engage with complementary detent contours in the interior of the sleeve 31. Each detent pin 32 is inserted so deeply into its sleeve 31 until a head 35 of the detent pin 32 bears firmly against the air duct cover 22.

In the bottom 25 of the inner container 4 and the cover 36 of the inner container 5, windows 37 (see Fig. 1) are cut in each case at both ends of the passage 19. A housing 38 which extends through the wall 8 between the windows 37 to prevent the insulating material from closing the passage 19 during foaming is shown in FIG. 3 in a detailed, perspective view. The housing 38 comprises a lower housing part 39 and an upper housing part 40, which are injection-molded separately from plastic and are pushed together before insertion into the wall 8.

The lower housing part 39 here comprises two upwardly slightly widened pipe sockets 41, 42, each of rectangular cross-section, and a flange 43 extending around the lower ends of the pipe sockets 41, 42, provided to accommodate the housing 38 from the back of the housing Body 1 is inserted into the wall 8, to rest on the ceiling 36 around the window 37. At its bottom not visible in Fig. 3, the flange 43 may be provided with flat ribs, which in the Snap window 37 of the ceiling 36 along its edges to exactly set the mounting position of the housing 38.

In the upper housing part 40, a flange 44 surrounds a single, likewise rectangular cross-section nozzle 45, which branches at its lower end in two to the pipe socket 41, 42 complementary terminals 46, 47. On the narrow sides of the flange two webs 67 are formed, which together with the flange in the lateral direction open grooves. The window 37 of the bottom 25 has at its rear wall 9 facing edge two widenings 68 (see Fig. 4) through which pass through the insertion of the housing 38 in the wall 8, the webs 67 so that they in the mounted state on the Floor 25 rest and clamp the housing 38 at the bottom 25.

When foaming the body 1 holding tools in the interiors 2, 3 are introduced, the press the floor 25 and the ceiling 36 so far against each other until both foam-tight against the flanges 44, 43.

On the narrow sides 48 of the nozzle 45, a latching projection 49 is placed so that when the downwardly narrowing ports 46, 47 engage frictionally in the pipe socket 41, 42, latching elastic detent hooks 50 of the lower housing 39 engage behind the latching projections 49.

An assembly 51 shown in FIG. 3 above the upper housing part 40 comprises a motor housing 52 in the form of a vertically oriented cuboid, of which two main surfaces protrude in plan view rectangular frames 53, 54. The assembly 51 is provided to be inserted in the orientation shown from above into the upper housing part 40; in the installed position, the motor housing 52 divides the interior of the nozzle 45 into two parts, one of which extends in extension of the terminal 46 and the other in extension of the terminal 47, and the frames 53, 54 lie on at least one longitudinal wall of the Neck 45 extending shoulder 55 on.

In each frame 53, 54, a flap 56 (see FIG. 4) is pivotally mounted about an axis 57. In its closed position, the walls of the flap 56 are close to Frame 53 and 54, so that each flap 56 is able to shut off one of the two passages on both sides of the motor housing 52. From this in Fig. 4 shown as a dashed outline closed position, each flap 56 is pivotable down into the socket 45 into a drawn in Fig. 4 open position in which they allow an air flow from the evaporator chamber 12 to one of the air channels 20 and 29 not handicapped.

Housed in the motor housing 52, in addition to an electric motor, is also a transmission which may be connected, e.g. as mentioned above, by means of two eccentrics, allows to control the positions of the flaps 56 independently. If there is no need for refrigeration in the normal refrigeration compartment 2, both flaps 56 are closed, with refrigeration demand only in the lower region 27, only the flap 56 of the frame 53 is open to apply only the air duct 20 with cold air, with refrigeration demand in the upper region 28 is only the Flap 56 of the frame 54 open, and with simultaneous cooling demand in both areas 27, 28, both flaps 56 may be open at the same time.

By thus selectively loading the upper area 28 and the lower area 27 of the upper storage compartment 21 with cold air, different temperatures can be set in both areas. The temperature of the lower portion 27 should be lower, not least because at the level of the lower portion 27, the molding 24 is thicker and therefore the thermal insulation of the lower portion 27 is better than that of the upper. Thus, in particular, the upper region 28 can be used as a normal cooling compartment and the lower region as a fresh-cooling compartment.

In a simpler embodiment of the refrigeration device, in which the storage compartment 21 is not divided and only a single air duct is provided behind the cover 30, one of the frame 53, 54, the flap mounted therein and possibly the eccentric driving the flap omitted.

In order to fix the assembly 51 in the nozzle 45, a clip 58 is further provided, which extends in the mounted state over the top of the motor housing 52 from a longitudinal wall of the nozzle 45 to the other. The bracket 58 has a top wall 59 and two side walls 60 which engage around the motor housing 52 on either side. In the assembled state, the bracket 58 on the one hand by engagement in a recess 61 at a rear longitudinal wall of the nozzle 45, on the other hand fixed by latching between two latching hooks 62 at a front edge of the flange 44. On the bracket 58, as shown in Fig. 3, a hook 63 may be provided, under which a supply cable 64 of the motor can be clamped to ensure that it does not hang in one of the frame 53, 54 and the movement of the flaps 56th with special needs.

5 shows a simplified variant of the housing 37 and the assembly 51 in a schematic section. The assembly 51 here comprises an outside of the cutting plane motor and a single flap 56 in butterfly shape, which is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the cutting plane 57. The assembly is fixed by a perpendicular to the cutting plane extending, engaging end walls of the upper housing part 40 clip 58, which divides the opening of the upper housing part 40 in a communicating with the air duct 20 front part 65 and communicating with the air duct 29 rear part 66 , In the position shown by the flap 56, only the air duct 20 is charged with cold air; after a rotation of the flap 56 in a clockwise direction by about 30 ° in the position shown in dashed lines, the cold air is distributed to both air channels 20, 29; after a further rotation by about 30 °, only the air duct 29 is supplied, after another rotation by about 60 ° both air channels 20, 29 are blocked. All positions are accessible in the course of a continuous rotation, without the direction of rotation of the motor would have to be changed.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 corpus

2 interior

3 interior

4 inner container

5 inner container

6 frames

7 insulating material layer

8 wall

9 rear wall

10 partition wall

1 1 freezer

12 evaporator chamber

13 wall

14 intake area

15 lamella evaporator

16 distribution area

17 fans

18 distribution opening

19 passage

20 air duct

21 storage compartment

22 air duct cover

23 rear wall

24 molding

25 floor

26 intermediate wall

27 lower area

28 upper area

29 air duct

30 air duct cover

31 sleeve 32 detent pin

33 passage

34 shaft

35 head

36 ceiling

37 windows

38 housing

39 lower housing part

40 upper housing part

41 pipe socket

42 pipe socket

43 flange

44 flange

45 nozzles

46 connection

47 connection

48 narrow side

49 locking projection

50 snap hooks

51 assembly

52 motor housing

53 frame

54 frame

55 shoulder

56 flap

57 axis

58 clip

59 upper wall

60 side wall

61 recess

62 snap hooks

63 hooks

64 supply cables

65 front part rear part jetty

widening

Claims

Refrigeration appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, in which in a heat-insulating housing at least a first and a second interior (2, 3) are separated from each other by a heat-insulating wall (8), wherein the first interior (3) in a storage compartment (1 1) and a Evaporator chamber (12) is divided and a passage (19) in the heat-insulating wall (8) connects the evaporator chamber (12) with the second interior (2), characterized in that at least one closure element (51, 56) for controlling the air exchange between the evaporator chamber (12) and the second internal space (2) in the passage (19) is housed.

Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the closure element comprises a flap (56).

Refrigeration appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that the closure element comprises a frame (53, 54) surrounding the flap (56) in a closed position all around.

Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second interior (2) by an air duct cover (22, 30) in a storage chamber (21) and at least one air duct (20, 29) is divided.

Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises two air ducts (20, 29), one of which (20) extends from the passage (19) into a lower region (27) of the second interior (2) and the other ( 29) extends from the passage (19) past the lower portion (27) to an upper portion (28) of the second inner space (2).

6. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that each air channel (20, 29) is associated with a closure element (56).

7. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the at least one closure element (56) is combined with a motor driving it to an assembly (51) which is mounted in the passage (19).

8. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first inner space (3) and the second inner space (2) in each case by a

Inner container (5, 4) are limited and that in the passage (19) a tubular housing (38) extends between windows (37) of the inner container (5, 4) by a thermal barrier coating (7) of the wall (8).

9. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that the housing (38) comprises two flanges (43, 44) which rest against in each case one of the two inner containers (5, 4).

10. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 9, characterized in that the housing (38) comprises two plug-connected housing parts (39, 40), each of which one of

Flanges (43, 44) includes ..

1 1. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 8, 9 or 10, characterized in that a foamed part (24) between a rear side of the air duct (20) and a rear wall (23) of the inner container (4) of the second inner space (2) is arranged.

12. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1 1 and claim 4, characterized in that the air duct cover (22) on both sides of the air duct (20) touches the foamed part (24) and fixed in position between the air duct cover (22) and the rear wall (23) ,

13. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure element (56) can be inserted from the side of one of the interior spaces (2) into the passage (19).

14. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 13, characterized in that the closure element (56) by a clip (58) is secured, between the closure element (56) and the interior (2), from which the Closing element (56) is inserted, is latched to the walls of the passage (19).

15. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 14 and claim 7, characterized in that the clamp (58) is arranged crossing the engine.