ES2361130T3 - COOLING DEVICE WITH WATER TANK. - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigeration device has a heat-insulated interior (3) and a water tank (13) separated from the interior (3) by an insulating layer. A hollow space (17) is defined on a side of the insulating layer facing the water tank (13). An element (24) is arranged on at least one opening (18; 22, 23) of the insulating layer, said opening connecting the hollow space (17) to the interior (3), and controlls the air exchange via the opening (18; 22, 23). An electric heater (32) can be arranged on the tank (13).

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigeration apparatus with a thermally insulated interior space and with a water tank separated from the interior space as well as the environment by means of an insulating layer according to the preamble of claim 1. An apparatus for refrigeration of this type is known, for example, from WO-A-90/15962.

The water in a tank of this type should never be frozen, on the one hand because the expansion of the water involved with freezing could destroy the tank and, on the other hand, because water cannot be taken from a frozen tank. Therefore, the water tank cannot come into close thermal contact with an interior space, when it can be cooled to temperatures below 0 ° C.

Refrigeration apparatus is known, in which this requirement is attempted by embedding the tank in a wall of the housing of the refrigeration apparatus, so that it is surrounded by an insulating layer both outwardly and also towards the interior space. The relation of the thermal conductivities of these layers as well as the temperature of the interior space and the temperature of the environment determines the temperature that reaches the content of the tank in stationary conditions. However, in this case the problem arises that the temperature of the interior space and - to an even greater extent than this - also the temperature of the environment are variable. A refrigeration appliance, which is designed for use in regular latitudes, cannot be cooled satisfactorily when used in a tropical environment. Conversely, in a refrigeration apparatus, which provides satisfactory cold water in a tropical environment, there is a danger that at regular latitudes, especially in the case of use in an unheated space, the contents of the tank will freeze. A conventional refrigeration apparatus of this type cannot, therefore, be manufactured in a unit manner for different climatic zones. The manufacture of models, which differ in the ratio of layer thicknesses on both sides of the water tank, requires a high manufacturing cost and also for the user represents an annoying limitation when the device, which it acquires, can only be used in a limited area of ambient temperatures.

On the other hand, the need to insulate the water tank against the interior space of the refrigeration apparatus leads to the fact that when fresh water is filled at room temperature after the water intake of the tank, it takes a long time until this fresh water is refrigerated

A refrigeration apparatus is known from WO2005 / 052477A1, in which said heating tank embedded in the wall of the refrigeration apparatus is associated with heating. Since these prevent a freezing of the tank, an insulating layer, which separates the water tank from the interior space, can be made essentially thinner than the insulating layer between the interior space and the environment, so that in water circulating at then the tank cools quickly. The thin insulating layer, however, leads to a high heat input into the interior space. This and the energy required for heating impair the energy efficiency of the device.

The purpose of the present invention is to create a refrigeration apparatus, which enables efficient energy operation at very variable ambient temperatures.

This task is solved by means of a refrigeration apparatus with the characteristics of claim 1. Thus, for example, it is possible to select the thickness of the insulating layer between the interior space and the water tank in such a way that also at low temperatures environmentally freezing of the contents of the tank is excluded, when at the same time the exchange of air through the passage through the control element is limited to a low value. When in such circumstances, the cooling of the water in the tank is no longer sufficient, the element can be activated, to perform an intensified air exchange and, therefore, an intensified cooling of the tank. Heating can prevent freezing of the tank also when it is well insulated from the environment.

Another advantage of this refrigeration apparatus is that also when the temperature of the water tank is high by virtue of a fresh water flow inlet made for a short period of time, the exchange of air with the interior space can be raised, to cool Quickly fresh water.

The element that controls the air exchange can be, for example, a fan, through whose operation the air exchange is actively encouraged. But it is also conceivable to use a hatch or other element that modulates the free cross-section of the passage, and which allows in the open state an exchange of air actuated in another way, for example through convection and which essentially prevents it in the closed state or at least narrowed state.

Preferably, the hollow space is connected to the interior space through a plurality of passages, then air can be circulated through at least one of these passages from the interior space to the hollow space and through another step back to the space inside. An effective air exchange control is also possible when at least one of these steps does not have any air exchange control element.

In order not to disturb an exchange of air through convection in the case of different temperatures of the interior space and the hollow space, the plurality of holes more conveniently flow at the same height in the interior space.

When the exchange of air between the hollow space and the interior space is desired, it should be possible to quickly and completely clean the hot air from the hollow space. For this purpose a division is convenient, in which the hollow space comprises several chambers that in each case communicate with each other at an upper end.

The steps then flow, respectively, preferably over a lower end of the chambers.

For the division of the hollow space in the communicating chambers, some ribs can be used, which are distanced from a tank wall. These ribs increase the surface at the same time, on which heat exchange between the tank and the air in the hollow space is possible and thus accelerate the cooling of the contents of the tank.

It is also convenient that the hollow space and the tank be separated by a housing of the insulating layer. By preventing the housing from direct contact between the air in the hollow space and the insulating layer, the moisture content of the circulating air is also prevented from precipitating into the insulating layer. In addition, the separation of the insulating layer deposit improves the ease of repair of the apparatus.

The ribs that divide the hollow space can also be distanced from a wall of the housing.

Since each step into the interior space is directed downwards, hot air remains captured in the hollow space, unless the exchange of air is activated through external energy, especially through the fan.

More conveniently, a regulation circuit is provided, which activates the heating, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor does not reach a first limit value, and which activates the air exchange control element to encourage air exchange when the detected temperature exceeds a second limit value. The limit values may in particular be +2 and + 10 ° C, respectively.

To minimize the danger of leakage of the tank and to avoid direct contact of the temperature sensor with the drinking water that is contained in the tank, the temperature sensor is preferably fixed on an outer surface of the tank.

A simple installation of the temperature sensor with a close thermal contact with the tank is made possible with a bag placed on the outer surface of the tank, in which the temperature sensor is inserted.

The temperature sensor is preferably arranged adjacent to a higher point of the tank. Since the water at 4 ° C has its highest density, both the hottest water, when the tank is too hot, and also the coldest water, when the tank is too cold, they are in the vicinity of its highest point and in this way it can be detected by one and the same temperature sensor.

Other advantages of the invention are deduced from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. In this case:

Figure 1 shows a schematic section through a refrigeration apparatus according to the invention with a water tank mounted on a child of the door.

Figure 2 shows a section through a housing of the niche along a plane designated with II in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a section along the plane designated with III in Figure 2 according to a first configuration of the invention.

Figure 4 shows a view of the front side of the water tank.

Figure 5 shows a variation of the water tank of Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the water tank according to a second configuration of the invention; Y

Figure 7 shows a variant of the water tank shown in Figure 6.

Figure 1 shows a schematic section through a water tank cooling apparatus according to the present invention. In the water tank shown it can be a cooling cabinet

or of the freezing part of a combined device side by side. The walls of the body 1 and of the door, which surround the interior space 3 of the apparatus, are made in a manner known per se, respectively, with a fixed outer and inner lining, which surround an intermediate space filled with foam of a resin synthetic insulator. The inner lining 4 of the door 2 is molded by deep drawing of plastic in one piece and has in a central area a projection 5 that projects into the interior of the inner space 3. The outer lining is composed of an essentially flat faceplate 6 , which is shown here coated with a furniture plate 7, and in which a central window is cut, as well as by a plastic injection molded housing, open forward, essentially in the form of a parallelepiped, which fits in the projection 5 of the inner lining 4 and fills the window of the front plate 6. Two steps 9 in the back wall and in the roof wall of the housing 8 divide the niche formed inside into an inner area 10 and an outer 11 open towards the front side of the housing, The inner zone 10 is essentially closed by a thermal insulation plate 12 that rests on the steps 9 and is inserted in the housing 8 In the inner zone 10 a water reservoir 13 is housed. Ducts 14 and 15, respectively, connect the water reservoir 13, on the one hand, with the drinking water network and, on the other hand, with a drinking place. 16 in the outer area 11 of the housing 8. Between a rear side of the water tank 13 approximately in the form of a parallelepiped and a rear wall of the housing 8 is a hollow space 17. Several steps 18, only one of which is You can see in the section of figure 1, connect the hollow space 17 with the interior space 3.

In the interior space 3 there is an automatic device for preparing ice pieces 19 as well as a reservoir 20, in which the preparation device 19 discharges the finished ice pieces. An exit orifice of the reserve tank 20 is located on a box 21, which extends through the wall of the door 2 and flows into the roof of the outer area 11 in the housing 8. Thus, a tank located in the outer zone 11 it can be filled with water from the reservoir 13 as well as ice chips from the reservoir reservoir 20.

Figure 2 shows a section through the housing 8 at the height of its inner zone 10 along the plane designated with II in Figure 1. In this section three fittings 22, 22, 23 are recognized, which are integrally formed in the housing 8 and forming walls, which delimit the steps 18 with respect to the insulating material surrounding the housing 8 and which is not shown in the figure. The two narrower fittings 22 found in each case outside are empty, as can also be seen in Figure 3, which shows a section along the plane III of Figure 2. On the other central fitting 23 is A fan 24 is mounted. The fan 24 is used to drive an air current, which flows upwards from the central fitting 23 firstly in a central chamber 26 of the hollow space 17 delimited by two separation walls 25, is divided into its upper end and circulates down through two outer chambers 27 and the fittings 22 and back to the inner space

3.

As can be seen especially in Figure 3, which shows a section through the housing 8 along the line III in Figure 2, the fittings 22, 23 end at the same height in the interior space 3. The holes of the fittings 22, 23, which flow into the interior space 3 that are lower than the hollow space 17, so that when the fan 24 is disconnected, the air that is heated in the hollow space 17 does not leave the space inside.

The hollow space 17 is delimited forward and to the right, respectively, in Figure 3 by an essentially flat rear wall 28 in this configuration of the water tank 13. In the water tank 13 shown in the section a sensor can be seen of temperature 29, which is inserted in a bag 36 formed on the upper side of the tank. The temperature sensor 29 is positioned in such a way that it measures the temperature of the water, which is in the immediate vicinity of an outlet fitting 30 of the tank 13, at the upper end of a rising duct, which is delimited inside of the tank by a separation wall 31 that extends from its upper side to slightly above the bottom and shown in top plan view in Figure 3. The duct 15 is coupled on the outlet fitting 30.

An electric heating is installed on the front wall 42 of the tank, here in the form of a glued sheet heating 32. A signal cable 33 of the temperature sensor 29, a reed heating cable 32 and a fan supply cable 24 extend together with the conduit 15 through a fragment of the insulating plate 12 to a circuit of control, which can be housed, for example, in a control module 34 which, as shown in Figure 1, is placed in the outer area 11 of the housing 8 on its roof and which has keys 35 that can be activated by the user to control the water and / or ice output. The control circuit monitors the temperature detected by the sensor 29 and connects the fan 24 when the detected temperature exceeds an upper limit value, for example, of 10 ° C and disconnects it again when the temperature falls below a second lower limit value , for example 6 ° C, connects heating 42 when a third limit value is not reached, for example 2 ° C and disconnects it again when a fourth limit value is exceeded, for example 4 ° C, which is between the second and third limit value In this way, it is ensured, on the one hand, that, despite the possibly variable temperature of the environment, the water in the tank 13 reaches a somewhat constant low temperature, if frozen, and a rapid cooling of water is guaranteed. fresh, which fills tank 13 after taking a larger amount of water.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the reservoir 13 in accordance with a preferred development of the invention. Unlike an exact form of parallelepiped, the upper side 37 of the reservoir can be insignificantly sloping in the width direction, an inlet fitting 38 starting from the highest placed edge of the upper side 37 of the outlet fitting 30 and from the lowest placed edge. The vertical separation wall 31 inside the tank 13 is represented as a contour of lines, the same as a plurality of horizontal walls 39, which in each case start alternating interwoven from the separation wall 31 or from the side wall of the tank 13 away from the observer. While in a zone 40 of the tank, which is connected directly to the inlet fitting 38, a thorough mixing of fresh water is possible that enters through the inlet fitting 38 with the contents of the reservoir 40, the circulation during the taking of water in the riser and between the horizontal walls 39 is laminar. In this way, a larger quantity of cold water can be taken first, before the hottest mixed content of the tank reaches the outlet fitting 30.

In the vertical separation wall 31, a small passage hole 41 is formed directly at its upper end, through which trapped air can rise in the area 40 of the tank and can reach the outlet fitting 30. In this way, it is guaranteed safe ventilation of the tank 13.

When no water is taken, the water, which is cooled in the rear wall 28 of the tank, circulates inside the tank to its bottom. Only when this water is colder than 4 ° C, it tends to rise again, then essentially penetrating the upstream duct towards the outlet fitting 30. Therefore, in the case of excessive cooling of the reservoir 13, around the fitting Output 30 is its coldest place and due to the location of the temperature sensor 29 in this place, the danger of excessive cooling can be safely detected. According to the distribution of too cold water in the reservoir in such a situation, in the vicinity of the bottom and in the rising duct, the sheet heating 32 here has an L-shape with a vertical arm that heats the rising duct and a horizontal arm that heats the bottom area of the tank.

Figure 5 shows a modified configuration of the tank, in which the bag 36 housed on the upper side of the tank, is replaced by a bag 43 arranged laterally, which is essentially formed by an elastic sheet glued or welded along a line 44 in the tank 13. The sheet, which is provided with a layer of thermal insulation, retains a plate-shaped temperature sensor (not shown) pressed against the side wall of the tank.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the tank 13, seen from its rear side, in accordance with a second configuration of the invention. In this configuration, the separation walls 45, which divide the hollow space 17, as shown in Figure 2, into central and exterior chambers 26, 27, 27, are integrally formed in the rear wall 28 of the tank 13. The walls in this way 45 increase the surface, which is available in the tank 13 for the exchange of heat with air circulating in the hollow space 17 and thus allow faster cooling of the contents of the tank.

Another development of this idea is shown in Figure 7, which shows, however, a perspective view of the reservoir 13. The chambers 26, 27, 27, which form the hollow space 17, are made here as recessed notches. and the body of the tank, which are delimited in each case by hollow ribs 46. In this way, an especially faster heat exchange is possible with the contents of the tank, which is inside the hollow ribs 46.

Claims (15)

1.-Refrigeration apparatus with an interior space (3) thermally insulated and with a water tank (13) separated from the interior space (3) as well as the environment by means of an insulating layer, in which on the side of The insulating layer, which is directed towards the water tank (13), is formed a hollow space (17), and in at least one passage (18; 22, 23) of the insulating layer, which connects the hollow space (17 ) with the interior space (3), an element (24) is arranged that controls the exchange of air through the passage (18; 22, 23), characterized in that an electric heating (32) and the hollow space (17) are arranged on opposite sides (28, 42) of each other of the tank, and because the operation of the element (24) that controls the exchange of air and the heating (32) is regulated by at least one temperature sensor (29) arranged in the water tank (13). 2. Refrigeration apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the element that controls the air exchange is a fan (24). 3. Refrigeration apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hollow space (17) is connected to the interior space (3) by means of a plurality of steps (18; 22, 23), so that At least one of the steps (22) has no air exchange control element. 4. Refrigeration apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the plurality of steps (18; 22, 23) flow at the same height in the interior space (3). 5. Refrigeration apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the hollow space (17) comprises several chambers (26, 27) that communicate in each case with each other at an upper end. 6. Refrigeration apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the steps (18; 22, 23) flow in each case on a lower end of the chambers (26, 27). 7. Refrigeration apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the hollow space (17) is divided by ribs (45, 46) that distance from a tank wall (13) in the chambers (26, 27 ) that communicate. 8. Refrigeration apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the hollow space (17) and the tank (13) are separated by a housing (8) of the insulating layer. 9.-Refrigeration apparatus according to claim 5 or 6 and 8, characterized in that the hollow space (17) is divided by ribs (25), which distance from a wall of the housing (8) in the chambers (26) , 27) that communicate. 10. Refrigeration apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each step (18) is directed downwards towards the interior space (3). 11.-Refrigeration apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a temperature sensor is provided in each case in its mounting position in its upper zone and in its lower zone. 29). 12. Refrigeration apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a regulation circuit for the operation of the heating (32), when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (29) does not reach a first limit value, and for the activation of the element (24) that controls the exchange of air, to encourage the exchange of air with the interior space (3), when the detected temperature exceeds a second limit value. 13.-Refrigeration apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one temperature sensor (29) is fixed on an outer surface of the tank (13). 14. Refrigeration apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the at least one temperature sensor is inserted in a bag (36, 43) placed on the outer surface of the tank. 15. Refrigeration apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one temperature sensor (29) is arranged adjacent to a higher point of the tank (13).