Cooling Device

Abstract

A cooling device has an inner container in which an evaporator is arranged. A second inner container surrounds the inner container such that an intermediate space is formed between the first and second inner containers.

Description

The invention relates to a cooling device having an inner container in which an evaporator and a compressor are arranged.

High fluctuations in air moisture usually occur in cooling devices due to the discontinuous operation of the compressor. This is in particular disadvantageous when storage products should be stored in the cooling device which are sensitive with respect to moisture changes in the ambient air. Cigars or also pharmaceutical products are, for example, such sensitive storage products. A temperature of +18° C. at a humidity of 75% is to be set as the optimum storage temperature for cigars. No cooling device has previously existed which has a low hysteresis of the humidity in the device.

It is therefore the object of the present invention-to provide a cooling device which permits the storage of a storage product which is sensitive with respect to changes in the humidity. In other words, a cooling device should be provided which is suitable for the storage of cigars, pharmaceutical products or any other storage product sensitive to climate fluctuations.

This object is solved in accordance with the invention, starting from a cooling device in accordance with the preamble of claim 1, by the combination with the features of the characterizing portion of claim 1. Accordingly, a second inner container is provided at a cooling appliance having a first inner container in which an evaporator is arranged. In this respect, the first inner container surrounds the second inner container such that an intermediate space is formed between the first and the second inner containers. The storage product is stored within the second inner container.

An airtight separation between the cooling system and the storage space is provided due to the provision of the second inner container. The humidity within the second inner space can thus no longer condense on the evaporator during the compressor runtime, which results in the abrupt drop in humidity in conventional cooling devices. A uniform cooling of the inner space within the second inner container is ensured due to the provision of the second inner container and of the intermediate space between the first and second inner containers. Drop formation of condensing humidity at the rear wall of the second inner container does not take place due to the dynamic ventilation.

Preferred embodiments of the invention result from the dependent claims following on from the main claim.

A humidification unit can accordingly be arranged within the second inner container. A desired humidity can be set in the inner space of the cooling device surrounded by the second inner container due to the provision of this humidification unit whose structure is known per se.

The humidification unit is advantageously controlled by an electromechanical or electronic hygrostat with adjustable hysteresis. This means that the maximum permitted fluctuation of the humidity can be set in accordance with the storage product to be stored.

Particularly advantageously, a dehumidification valve is arranged in the wall of the second inner container, said dehumidification valve enabling communication to the intermediate space between the first and second inner containers. Moisture charged air can flow into the intermediate space between the first inner container and the second inner container by a corresponding opening of the valve so that the moisture content in the inner space of the second inner container can be reduced. The dehumidification valve can also be controlled by the hygrostat.

In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a ventilation device can be provided in the intermediate space between the first and second containers to circulate the air in the intermediate space. A uniform flow over the intermediate wall between the intermediate container and the second inner container is hereby established so that the temperature in the second inner container can be set to, the desired value very quickly due to the uniform temperature of the intermediate wall.

The evaporator arranged in the first inner container is advantageously foamed in.

An evaporation tray can be arranged beneath the evaporator such that water forming in the region of the evaporator can run off into the evaporation tray. In this respect, the evaporation tray can advantageously be arranged together with the compressor in a reception region recessed in the lower region of the first inner container. A communication passage can be provided in the wall between the intermediate space and the reception space for the draining of the water collecting in a funnel-like extension of the communication passage.

Further features, details and advantages of the invention result from the embodiments shown in the drawing. There are shown:

FIG. 1 a schematic sectional representation seen from the side through a cooling device in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 a schematic sectional representation of the cooling device in accordance with FIG. 1 seen from the front;

FIG. 3 a sectional representation in accordance with FIG. 1 through a cooling device in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 a sectional representation through the cooling device in accordance with FIG. 3 in the same view as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 a sectional representation in accordance with FIG. 1 through a cooling device in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 a sectional representation through the cooling device in accordance with FIG. 5 in the same view as in FIG. 2.

A cooling device 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 which has a first inner container 12. A cooling device door 14 is connected to the inner container in a conventional manner via hinges. A large-surface evaporator 16 is foamed into the rear wall of the inner container 12 in a likewise known manner. The foamed housing 13 includes a reception space 18 in the lower rear region in which a compressor 20 and an evaporation tray 22 are arranged. The structure of the cooling device in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2 thus corresponds to the structure of already known cooling devices.

The inner container 12 surrounds a second inner container 24 such that an intermediate space 26 is formed between the first inner container 12 and the second inner container 24. It becomes clear in the embodiment in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2 that the intermediate space 26 is formed over the full area between the first inner container and the second inner container. The only exception is formed by the front side which is closed by the door 14. A ventilation device 28 with which the air located in the intermediate space is set into motion in the direction of the arrows shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided within the intermediate space. The air in the intermediate space thus sweeps over the intermediate wall 30 between the intermediate space 26 and the inner space 32 enclosed by the second inner container 24.

A humidification unit 34 whose structure is already known is arranged in the base region in the inner space 32. A desired humidity can be set in the inner space 32 of the cooling device 10 via the humidification unit 34 which can be controlled by a hygrostat no longer shown here. To enable a fast dehumidification in the inner space 32 if required, a dehumidification valve 36 is provided in the intermediate wall 30 which is advantageously controllable via the hygrostat. After the opening of said dehumidification valve, it enables moisture charged air to be able to flow from the inner space 32 into the intermediate space 26.

As can in particular be seen from FIG. 1, the first inner container 12 forms a step 38 surrounding the reception area 18 in the lower and rear region of the cooling device 10. A communication passage 40 which connects the intermediate space 26 and the reception space 18 to one another is formed in this step 38. The evaporation tray 22, which is seated on the compressor housing in the embodiment shown here, is arranged beneath the communication passage 40. The communication passage 40 expands at its end facing the intermediate space 26 while forming a funnel-like reception 42. Condensation which forms in the region of the advantageously foamed-in evaporator 16 can collect in this funnel-like reception 42. This condensation flows through the communication passage 40 due to gravity and drips into the evaporation tray 22.

The embodiment in accordance with FIGS. 3 and 4 substantially corresponds to those in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2. The essential difference here is that the intermediate space 26 between the first and second inner containers does not enclose the whole inner container (with the exception of the region of the door). It is rather the case that the intermediate space 26 is only arranged in the side region in this embodiment. The ventilation device 28 is furthermore arranged in the lower region of the cooling device 10. Finally, unlike in the embodiment in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2, no evaporator plate is arranged in the rear wall region of the inner container. It is rather the case that the evaporators 16 are here each foamed in laterally in the region of the inner container 12. It is ensured on the basis of the arrangement of the intermediate space 26 that the air flow brought into circulation by the ventilation device 28 flows over the cooled surface at the side wall to enable a heat transfer which is as good as possible here. In the embodiment in accordance with FIGS. 3 and 4, the dehumidification valve 36 is arranged in the intermediate wall in the region of the side wall of the inner container 12.

The cooling device in accordance with FIGS. 5 and 6 substantially corresponds to that in accordance with FIG. 3. As can be seen from the representation of FIGS. 5 and 6, however, the intermediate space 26 between the inner container 12 and the second inner container 24, through which the air flows in accordance with the arrows in FIG. 5 or 6, is not drawn into the lower region of the cooling device 10, that is, into that region in which the humidification is located. The intermediate space 26 rather extends here only above the lower region, as shown by the arrows, in which the humidification takes place. The ventilation device 28 is therefore also arranged in the upper region of the cooling device, as results from FIGS. 5 and 6.

Claims

1. A cooling device having an inner container in which an evaporator is arranged, wherein the inner container surrounds a second inner container such that an intermediate space is formed between the first and the second inner containers.

2. A cooling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a humidification unit is arranged within the second inner container.

3. A cooling device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the humidification unit is controllable by a hygrostat with adjustable hysteresis.

4. A cooling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a dehumidification valve which enables a communication to the intermediate space between the first and second inner containers is arranged in the wall of the second inner container.

5. A cooling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a ventilation device is provided in the intermediate space between the first and second inner containers to circulate the air in the intermediate space.

6. A cooling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the evaporator is foamed in the first inner container.

7. A cooling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein an evaporation tray is arranged beneath the evaporator such that the water forming in the intermediate space in the region of the evaporator can run off into the evaporation tray.

8. A cooling device in accordance with claim 7, wherein the evaporation tray is arranged together with the compressor in a reception region recessed in the lower region of the first inner container; and a communication passage is provided in the wall between the intermediate space and the reception space for the draining of the collecting water.

9. A cooling device in accordance with claim 2, wherein a dehumidification valve which enables a communication to the intermediate space between the first and second inner containers is arranged in the wall of the second inner container.

10. A cooling device in accordance with claim 3, wherein a dehumidification valve which enables a communication to the intermediate space between the first and second inner containers is arranged in the wall of the second inner container.

11. A cooling device in accordance with claim 10, wherein a ventilation device is provided in the intermediate space between the first and second inner containers to circulate the air in the intermediate space.

12. A cooling device in accordance with claim 9, wherein a ventilation device is provided in the intermediate space between the first and second inner containers to circulate the air in the intermediate space.

13. A cooling device in accordance with claim 2, wherein a ventilation device is provided in the intermediate space between the first and second inner containers to circulate the air in the intermediate space.

14. A cooling device in accordance with claim 3, wherein a ventilation device is provided in the intermediate space between the first and second inner containers to circulate the air in the intermediate space.

15. A cooling device in accordance with claim 4, wherein a ventilation device is provided in the intermediate space between the first and second inner containers to circulate the air in the intermediate space.

16. A cooling device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the evaporator is foamed in the first inner container.

17. A cooling device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the evaporator is foamed in the first inner container.

18. A cooling device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the evaporator is foamed in the first inner container.

19. A cooling device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the evaporator is foamed in the first inner container.

20. A cooling device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the evaporator is foamed in the first inner container.