WO2007062898A1 - Refrigeration device comprising a water filter - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigeration device comprising a water filter (1), which is housed in a central cavity (7) of a coil condenser (6).

Description

 Refrigerating appliance with a water filter

The present invention relates to a refrigerator with a water filter and a winding condenser.

As water dispensers and automatic ice makers in refrigerators have become cheaper and more prevalent, household refrigerators are increasingly being provided with water filters to filter the water for the water dispenser and the automatic ice maker. Such a water filter is known from US Pat. No. 6,355,177 B2.

In more and more refrigerators winding condenser are used u. a. to be able to arrange the condenser inside the engine room. In a winding condenser, the condenser has a substantially helical shape and occupies a considerable volume in the installation space. Such a wound liquefier is known from US Pat. No. 5,592,829.

Due to the fact that increasingly additional components are installed in refrigerators, the available space for the individual components is becoming increasingly scarce.

So far, the water filter has mainly been located in the refrigerator compartment of the appliances, and occasionally in the appliance base. With an arrangement in the device base, the disadvantage arises that the device base must be increased, whereby the interior is reduced. When installed in the interior, however, the problem arises that the useful content of the interior is reduced.

An object of the present invention is to arrange the water filter so that the space is better utilized.

This is inventively achieved in that the water filter is housed in a central cavity of a winding condenser.

Since so far usually no components are arranged in the central cavities of the winding condenser of refrigerators, they can be used to arrange water filters. As a result, a refrigeration device can be provided with a water filter without the interior or its useful content having to be reduced. Since the water filter is located in the central cavity of the coil condenser, a flow of air generated by a fan is prevented from bypassing the condenser by flowing through the central cavity. A cover of the central cavity is thus unnecessary.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the water filter is surrounded by a sleeve. This serves to protect the water filter from the heat radiation of the wound capacitor.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the sleeve preferably has heat radiation reflecting surfaces. Particularly suitable are reflective surfaces, for example of metallic materials. This reduces the heat exchange between coil condenser and water filter.

It is expedient if the water filter comprises a filter base and a replaceable in the filter base filter cartridge. Thus, replacement of the filter cartridge can be performed relatively easily.

Preferably, the filter base is disposed adjacent a first axial end of the central cavity, and the filter cartridge is insertable into the cavity from the other axial end. As a result, the existing space in the central cavity is used particularly effectively.

Advantageously, the filter base is arranged axially outside the cavity. As a result, the filter base can be relatively easily mounted in the refrigerator.

Alternatively, a blower motor can be introduced into the cavity and the filter base can be arranged in the cavity adjacent to the blower motor. If a fan motor is provided in the central cavity, the water filter can be arranged in the remaining part of the cavity. The filter base of the water filter may then be mounted adjacent to the fan motor. In another embodiment of the invention, a collecting tray is arranged at least under the filter base 2. This ensures that when changing the water filter possibly leaking water is collected in the drip tray and does not get into the interior of the refrigerator.

The inventive idea further provides that the filter cartridge can be inserted into the cavity through an opening formed in an outer wall of the housing of the refrigeration device. This makes the water filter easily accessible to the user and makes it easy to change the filter cartridge. When changing the water filter, it is then not necessary to open the device.

It may also be advantageous to arrange the opening at the front of the housing. For example, if the refrigeration device is installed in a kitchenette or is on a wall, the water filter can be changed without having to adjust the refrigeration device.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the cartridge comprises a watertight capsule in which filter material is accommodated and a handle portion attached to the capsule. The filter cartridge is detachably or non-detachably connected, for example by screwing, latching, gluing or welding with the handle portion. Since the handle can also serve as an extension, it allows the attachment of the filter in otherwise hard to reach places. When designing the filter handle, there are numerous possibilities, for example with regard to shape and color. As a result, many filter handles can be produced, which differ significantly in their appearance. The filter handle can completely, partially or not enclose the filter cartridge. By simply changing the filter handle filter cartridges can be easily differentiated.

Finally, the capsule may be protected and not visible to a user completely housed in the housing; the handle portion still allows easy handling of the filter cartridge. - A -

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 through a refrigeration device.

2 shows a section through a water filter.

3 shows a longitudinal section through a water filter arranged according to the invention;

Fig. 4 is a partial perspective sectional view of a handle portion, which is configured in a first preferred embodiment, and an end piece of a

Capsule;

5 shows a longitudinal section through a second arrangement of the water filter.

6 shows a longitudinal section through a third arrangement of the water filter. and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a handle portion, which in a second preferred

Embodiment is formed.

The refrigerator shown schematically in Fig. 1 has in a conventional manner a housing 11 with a thermally insulated interior 25 and a device base 18 below the interior 25, in which a water filter 1 is housed. The device base 18 also contains other components such as a compressor and a condenser, which, as known per se, are not shown.

The water filter 1 is connected via a line 29 to the water mains of a building and feeds an automatic ice maker 26, which is housed in the interior 25, and a dispenser 27 for chilled drinking water, which is housed in a niche of the door 30. As a result of the water requirement of the ice maker 26 or of the dispenser 27, automatically controlled valves are known in the art and are omitted in the drawing.

Fig. 2 shows a section through the water filter 1 and its holder in the device base 18 according to a first embodiment. The holder comprises a screw or bayonet base 2 with a radially oriented inlet 14 and an axially oriented outlet 15. A filter cartridge 3 screwed or locked in the base 2 has a cup-shaped capsule 4 adjacent to its open side with one with the base 2 co-operating external thread or bayonet ribs is provided. On the longitudinal axis of the cup, a multiply perforated tube 31 extends, from which a downstream end 35 on the base 2 the outlet 15 tightly rests.

Inside the capsule 4, a hollow cylindrical filter body 34 surrounds the tube 31.

Fig. 3 shows schematically the placement of the water filter 1. The water filter 1 is mostly housed in a central cavity 7 of a winding condenser 6. Of the

Filter base 2 is arranged axially outside the central cavity 7. At this

Arrangement, it is useful to provide an evaporation tray 13 at least under the filter base 2. As a result, when changing the filter cartridge 3 possibly from the

Filter base 2 leaking water collected so that it does not drip onto the winding condenser 6.

There is a sleeve 8 between water filter 1 and coil condenser 6. This sleeve 8 extends over most of the length of the water filter 1. As a result, thermal radiation of the coil condenser 6 is reflected. A fan not shown here generates an air flow through the winding condenser 6. Between the sleeve 8 and the handle section 5 there is a first passage 19, through which air can flow into the area between the water filter 1 and the sleeve 8. Between the sleeve 8 and the filter base 2 there is a second passage 20 through which air can flow out of the area between the water filter 1 and the sleeve 8. Air within the sleeve 8 is therefore constantly exchanged, so that air, which may have been heated despite the shielding by the sleeve 8, is discharged immediately. In this way, the water filter 1 is kept cool. Since the water, which is led by the water filter, afterwards cooled as drinking water, or in Frozen form of ice cubes, it makes sense not to unnecessarily warm it. The filter cartridge 3 here has an attached to the capsule 4 handle portion 5.

Fig. 4 shows the handle portion 5 in a preferred embodiment with an end portion of the capsule 4 in a perspective partial view. The integrally molded plastic handle portion 5 has a cup or cup-shaped portion 21 which surrounds the end facing away from the base 2 of the capsule 4. This creates a comparatively large contact surface, which offers various possibilities for joining, for example pressing, gluing, welding or latching. From a bottom surface of the cup or cup-shaped portion is a rib 22 from which can easily grip and rotate a user to remove the filter cartridge 3 without the aid of tools.

Fig. 5 shows a second arrangement according to the invention of the water filter 1 within a housing 1 1 of a refrigerator. Water filter 1, blower motor 10 and winding condenser 6 are arranged adjacent to an opening 12 in the housing 11. They are aligned so that the handle portion 5 faces the housing opening 12. The cup-shaped section 21 terminates flush with the housing 1 1. This prevents a user when removing the filter cartridge 3 between the handle section 5 and the edge of the opening 12 pinches the fingers. The rib 22 protrudes beyond the housing 11, so that reaching the rib 22 is facilitated.

In contrast to the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 here is the filter base 2 within the central cavity 7 of the winding condenser 6. In addition, there is still a fan motor 10 for a fan within the central cavity 7 of the winding condenser 6. Here are fan motor 10 and water filter. 1 arranged at the respective opposite axial ends of the central cavity 7. Blower motor 10 and filter base 2 are adjacent to each other, so that the filter base 2 and the blower motor 10 can be attached to each other or to a common carrier (not shown).

The embodiment shown in Fig. 6 shows a collecting tray 9. This is arranged below the water filter 1 between the sleeve 8 and winding condenser 6. It extends in the axial direction from the opening 12 in the housing 1 1 to below the filter base 2. Furthermore an evaporation tray 13 is provided, which is arranged here below a drip edge 23 of the drip tray 9. By providing the drip tray 9 prevents water that might leak in a change of the filter cartridge 3, passes into the interior of the refrigerator. Water that exits when changing the filter cartridge 3 is collected in the drip tray 9 and directed into the evaporation tray 13.

In contrast to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, here the cup-shaped section 21 of the grip section 5 is countersunk in the housing 1 1. In order to prevent a user from pinching the fingers between the handle section 5 and the edge of the opening 12 when the filter cartridge 3 is removed, the grip section is here provided with an annular web 16 which surrounds the rib 22. The upper edges of the web 16 and the rib 22 are flush with the housing 11.

Fig. 7 shows the front side of the handle portion 5 according to Figure 6 in a plan view. By providing two recessed, substantially semicircular recessed grips 17 are the fingers of an operator when changing the filter cartridge within an annular ridge 24. This prevents the fingers between the handle portion 5 and the housing 1 1 can jam. Between the recessed grips 17 is a web 22 which a user can grip and rotate.

Claims

claims 1. Refrigerating appliance with a water filter (1), characterized in that the water filter (1) in a central cavity (7) of a winding condenser (6) is housed. 2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the water filter (1) by a sleeve (8) is surrounded. 3. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that the sleeve (8) has heat radiation reflecting surfaces. 4. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the water filter (1) comprises a filter base (2) and in the filter base (2) exchangeable mountable filter cartridge (3). 5. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that the filter base (2) adjacent to a first axial end of the cavity (7) is arranged and the filter cartridge (3) from the other axial end into the cavity (7) can be inserted. 6. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the filter base (2) is arranged axially outside of the cavity (7). 7. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that in this cavity (7), a blower motor (10) is housed and the filter base (2) in the cavity (7) adjacent to the blower motor (10) is arranged. 8. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that a collecting tray (9) is arranged at least under the filter base (2). 9. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the Filter cartridge (3) can be inserted into the cavity (7) through an opening (12) formed in an outer wall of the housing (1 1) of the refrigeration device. 10. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 9, characterized in that the opening (12) on the front side of the housing (1 1) is arranged. 1 1. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 4 to 10, characterized in that the cartridge (3) comprises a waterproof capsule (4), is accommodated in the filter material, and a to the capsule (4) attached handle portion (5). 12. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 10 and claim 1 1, characterized in that the capsule (4) completely in the housing (1 1) is added.