EP2788696B1 - Refrigeration appliance having an evaporation tray - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigeration device.

In refrigerators passes through the occasionally open refrigerator door or by the evaporation of moisture from the refrigerated goods moisture in the storage chamber for storing refrigerated goods. The bound in the air water then precipitates as condensation on the cold storage chamber walls. In known refrigerators, in particular refrigerators and freezers, the accumulated during operation condensation water is routed via lines or channels by flowing under gravity outward into a, below the outlet openings of the storage chamber mounted, so-called evaporation tray. The evaporation tray is usually arranged in a region of the machine room, preferably above the compressor. Thawed condensed water evaporates due to the heating of the evaporation tray, in particular by the transfer of heat from the compressor to the collection container, and is thus released into the ambient air. This allows a certain amount of condensation to be dissipated, without the evaporation tray must be emptied or overflowed. The evaporation rate of the evaporation tray is influenced by the ambient conditions. These are e.g. the ambient air temperature, air currents and temperatures in the vicinity or in thermal contact with the evaporation tray befindlicher components.

A refrigerator according to the preamble of claim 1 is made DE 102008054936 known.

With new refrigeration units, the run times of the compressor are reduced by optimized insulation. Furthermore, more and more efficient compressors with lower heat losses and thus a lower heat output are available. Increasingly, therefore, low-performance compressors are used, which heat up the evaporation tray less. An increased amount of condensation also occurs in tropical areas due to the high humidity.

In modern refrigerators with high-quality insulation, it may therefore happen that the waste heat of the compressor is no longer sufficient to evaporate the condensate at the rate at which it arises, so that eventually overflows the evaporation tray. If the overflowing condensation reaches voltage-carrying components below the collecting container, damage to the electrical system of the refrigerator can result be. From the device leaking condensation is particularly undesirable especially when the refrigerator is intended for installation in furniture.

A common solution to compensate for sometimes low evaporation performance is to place a pipe in the evaporation tray. This tube leads, for example, gas heated by the condenser to the evaporation tray. The additional heating results in a further evaporation effect of condensation from the evaporation tray.

Attempts have also been made with electric booster heaters on the evaporation tray to achieve increased evaporation capacity of the water in the evaporation tray.

These known approaches have the disadvantage that they require additional technical effort or cause additional energy consumption.

Against this background, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved refrigeration device in which in particular the overflow of the evaporation tray can be avoided by an improved heat exchange between the evaporation tray and the compressor.

The object is achieved by a refrigeration device with the features of the independent claim. Further advantageous embodiments are specified in the dependent claims.

Accordingly, a refrigeration device according to the invention has a compressor and an evaporation tray for receiving condensed water. At or near the compressor, the evaporation tray is arranged so that it encloses the compressor at least in sections. For this purpose, the evaporation tray can comprise an at least partially curved surface, or an outer surface or contact surface, which can be applied flat on an at least partially curved surface of the compressor or lies flat against it.

According to the invention, the evaporation tray can be latched to the compressor. The evaporation tray can then be placed back on the compressor after emptying and attached thereto. Furthermore, a removal of the evaporation tray is facilitated for their cleaning. At the same time, releasably securing the evaporation tray to the compressor provides security against tilting and leaking of the evaporation tray compared to a simply loosely mounted evaporation tray.

According to the invention, the evaporation tray can be locked on the compressor by pivoting about the compressor. This makes it possible to guide the evaporation tray along a curvature along a curved surface of the compressor. As a result, latching can be achieved by moving the evaporation tray relative to the compressor even with curved mutually facing surfaces of the compressor and evaporation tray.

Thereby, the heat transfer between the compressor and the evaporation tray can be improved, resulting in a greater heating of the condensate in the evaporation tray and thus to an improved Evaporation performance of condensation in the evaporation tray leads. It can therefore be better utilized the waste heat of the compressor. Even with a less warming compressor so that a sufficient evaporation performance can be achieved. By enclosing the compressor through the evaporation sound, the evaporation sound can be arranged even with small spaces.

Due to the curved contact surface of the evaporation tray can also be achieved that the evaporation tray can be pivoted into the space available, for example, above the compressor space. After pivoting in, we compress the compressor at least in sections through the curved, flat contact surface of the evaporation tray.

The fact that the contact surface of the evaporation tray is increased with the compressor, the heat transfer from the compressor is increased to the water in the evaporation tray. The water in the evaporation tray thus heats up more than the water in conventional refrigerators. Due to the improved contact between the evaporation tray and the compressor, the evaporation performance can be increased accordingly. The evaporation tray can be made small, thereby saving space and the evaporation tray can be reduced in weight. Furthermore, the copper pipes provided on some refrigeration appliances, which serve to increase the evaporation capacity, can be saved.

A refrigerant circuit of the refrigeration device comprises, for example, the compressor for compressing refrigerant vapor, a condenser downstream of the compressor for condensing the refrigerant vapor, and an evaporator downstream of the condenser and upstream of the compressor for vaporizing the liquefied refrigerant. Compressor and evaporator are then preferably each provided with a heat exchanger for heat transfer between the supplied air and the fluid.

Under refrigeration device is in particular a household refrigeration appliance understood, ie a refrigerator, which is used for household management in households or in the catering sector, and in particular serves to food and / or drinks certain temperatures, such as a refrigerator, a freezer, a refrigerator combination, a freezer or a wine fridge.

According to one embodiment, the binding is realized in such a way that the compressor has a curved convex portion, which extends within a curved concave portion of the evaporation shell. By means of these curved intersecting sections of compressor and evaporation tray, an optimally low average distance from the evaporation tray to the compressor is achieved. Since the heat transfer increases with decreasing mean distance between the evaporation tray and the compressor, the heat transfer is optimized. Furthermore, the curved portions avoid edges that can affect the air flow between the compressor and evaporation tray. The convex portion and the concave portion have, for example, at least in sections an equal radius of curvature. So they can be arranged in close proximity to each other. The convex portion and the concave portion may be at least partially spherical in shape. The evaporation tray then sits like a hood, especially from above, on the compressor. This ensures optimal proximity of the evaporation tray and compressor and optimizes heat transfer. Furthermore, the evaporation tray is thereby centered on the compressor and prevents it from slipping off the compressor.

For latching, the compressor, for example, a web, which dips when locking in a depression in the evaporation tray. The web can be at least partially resilient, so that it can spring into the depression. For this purpose, the bridge is designed for example as a wire bow or omega strap. Further, a spring-biased locking element may be provided on the recess that locks with the web. The depression runs, for example, in a slope, so that the bridge can easily initiate into the depression. The locking element is formed substantially as a barb.

According to one embodiment, the collecting container is at least partially transparent. The transparent collecting container allows easy readability of the liquid level in the collecting container by the user. The collecting container can be produced, for example, inexpensively from plastic as an injection molded part.

According to one embodiment, the evaporation tray comprises an asymmetrical contact surface to the compressor. The contact surface can be formed for example by an at least partially curved surface, in particular outer surface. The asymmetrical contact surface may, for example, have differently curved contact sections with different radii of curvature. For example, the asymmetric contact surface may have a front curved contact portion and a rear curved contact portion. The front curved contact portion may be shallower curved than the rear curved contact portion, so have a smaller radius of curvature. For example, the rear curved contact portion may be deeper than the front curved contact portion. As a result, the evaporation tray can first be placed on the compressor with the front curved contact section and swiveled along the curve until the rear curved contact section rests at least partially flat against the compressor. In this way, the evaporation tray can be arranged even with a small clearance on the compressor and this at least partially, in particular on the deep-drawn rear curved contact portion, border.

According to one embodiment, the evaporation tray comprises a curved, in particular concave, contact surface, which at least partially encloses a curved, in particular convex, section of the compressor.

Further possible implementations of the invention also include not explicitly mentioned combinations of features described above or below with regard to the exemplary embodiments. The expert will also add individual aspects as improvements or additions to the respective basic form of the refrigeration device.

Further advantageous embodiments and aspects of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims and the embodiment of the invention described below. Furthermore, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying figures.

Figur 1:

eine schematische Darstellung eines Ausschnitts eines Kältegerätes mit Fokus auf einem Verdichter und einer teilweise auf den Verdichter aufgeschobenen Verdunstungsschale gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel; und

Figur 2:

eine schematische Darstellung des Ausschnitts des Kältegerätes gemäß dem Ausführungsbeispiel von Figur 1 mit einer vollständig auf den Verdichter aufgeschobenen Verdunstungsschale.

It shows:

FIG. 1:

a schematic representation of a section of a refrigerator with focus on a compressor and a partially pushed onto the compressor evaporation tray according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 2:

a schematic representation of the detail of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 with an evaporation tray completely pushed onto the compressor.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a detail of a refrigeration device 1 with a focus on a compressor 3 and a partially pushed onto the compressor 3 evaporation tray 5 according to an embodiment. The evaporation tray 5 for receiving condensed water is arranged here obliquely to the right above the compressor 3 in an assembly position. The evaporation tray 5 encloses the compressor 3 in sections. This is realized here by the compressor 3 has a curved convex portion 7 which extends within a curved concave portion 9 of the evaporation tray 5. The convex portion 7 and the concave portion 9 in this case have a same radius of curvature in sections.

The convex portion 7 and the concave portion 9 are also spherically shaped. As a result, they come together flat to each other when they are joined together without spacing. In this way, a particularly good heat transfer between the evaporation tray 5 and the compressor 3 can be realized. The image also shows a web 11 on the compressor 3, which engages in the evaporation tray 5 connected to the compressor in a corresponding recess 13 in the evaporation tray 5. To the evaporation tray 5 of the in FIG. 1 shown assembly position in the in FIG. 2 shown operating position to move, the evaporation tray 5 is pivoted along the direction of the arrow R along the compressor 3.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the detail of the refrigeration device 1 according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 In this operating position now the web 11 extends in the recess 13 and supports a determination of the evaporation tray 5 on the compressor 3. At the evaporation tray 5, a latching element 15 is further provided in this embodiment, the on Bar 11 is locked and prevents slipping of the evaporation tray 5. By a double arrow S, the additional contact area is symbolized, on which the evaporation tray 5 comes by its curved contour on the also curved compressor 3 for concern. In the additional contact area S, the evaporation tray 5 comes to rest on the compressor 3, because it is not simply pushed from the right side of the image over the compressor 3, but is pivoted to the compressor 3 to concern. The additional contact area S with its particularly close arrangement of the evaporation tray 5 on the compressor 3 provides additional heat transfer from the compressor 3 to the evaporation tray 5. The total heat transfer between the two is thereby increased and the evaporation rate of condensed water from the evaporation tray 5 is increased.

As in the FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrated, the evaporation tray 5 comprises an asymmetric contact surface to the compressor. The contact surface can be formed for example by an at least partially curved surface, in particular outer surface, which forms the concave portion 9.

The asymmetrical contact surface may, for example, have differently curved, in particular concave, contact sections. For example, the asymmetric contact surface having a front curved, in particular concave, contact portion and a rear curved, in particular concave, contact portion. The front curved contact portion may be shallower curved than the rear curved contact portion, so have a smaller radius of curvature. The rear curved contact portion may be further lowered than the front curved contact portion. As a result, the evaporation tray 5 can first be placed on the compressor 3 with the front curved contact section and then swiveled into a construction space, for example above the compressor, along the curve until the rear curved contact section abuts the compressor at least partially. In this way, the evaporation tray can be arranged even with a small clearance on the compressor 3 and this at least partially, in particular on the deep-drawn rear curved contact portion, border.

Used reference signs:

1

The refrigerator

3

compressor

5

evaporation tray

7

convex section

9

concave section

11

web

13

deepening

15

locking element

17

slope

R

Joining movement direction

S

additional contact area

Claims (13)

1. Refrigeration appliance (1) having a compressor (3) and an evaporation tray (5) for receiving condensation water, wherein the evaporation tray (5) can be latched to the compressor (3), characterised in that the evaporation tray (5) surrounds the compressor (3) at least in sections, wherein the evaporation tray (5) can be latched to the compressor (3) by pivoting about the compressor (3).
2. Refrigeration appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the surrounding is realised in such a way that the compressor (3) has a curved convex section (7) which runs inside a curved concave section (9) of the evaporation tray (5).
3. Refrigeration appliance (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that the convex section (7) and the concave section (9) have an identical radius of curvature, at least in sections.
4. Refrigeration appliance (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the convex section (7) and/or the concave section (9) are embodied in a spherical manner, at least partially.
5. Refrigeration appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the compressor (3) has a web (11) which, for the latching, is inserted into a recess (13) in the evaporation tray (5).
6. Refrigeration appliance (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the web (11) is embodied in an at least partially resilient manner, so that it can deflect into the recess (13).
7. Refrigeration appliance (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that on the recess (13) a spring-pretensioned latching element (15) is provided, which latches with the web (11).
8. Refrigeration appliance (1) according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterised in that the recess (13) has a bevel-shaped (17) run-out.
9. Refrigeration appliance (1) according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterised in that the web (11) is embodied as a wire bracket.
10. Refrigeration appliance (1) according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterised in that the web (11) is disposed on top of the compressor (13).
11. Refrigeration appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the evaporation tray (5) is manufactured from plastic, in particular as an injection-moulded piece.
12. Refrigeration appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the evaporation tray (5) comprises an asymmetrical contact surface in relation to the compressor, wherein the asymmetrical contact surface has radii of curvature which differ in sections.
13. Refrigeration appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the evaporation tray (5) comprises a curved contact surface, which surrounds a curved section of the compressor at least partially.

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