The present invention relates to a refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit, in particular to a chest refrigerator and/or chest freezer, having a carcass and a cover movable relative to the carcass or with a door or flap, which is movable relative to the carcass and which has a pane, preferably a glass pane or a plastic pane, or is formed thereby, as well as with a heating device by means of which the pane can be heated.
Such units are known, for example, as commercial chests, for example as ice cream chests. As a rule, they have a carcass for the reception of the refrigerated goods or frozen goods which can, for example, be closed by a movable cover. The cover usually has a transparent pane to be able to observe the content of the chest even when the cover is closed.
It is disadvantageous with such apparatus that it is in particular possible at higher humidity that moisture can condense on the comparatively cold cover of the chest or on its pane. Such a condensation is not wanted.
It was therefore already suggested in DE 20 2005 007 188 to heat the cover or its pane. In this reference, the heating is achieved in that the heating device of the cover is supplied with current via contact elements, for example spring contact pins and contact plates. It is furthermore known from this reference to provide a switch which is only closed in the closed state of the cover and in this position closes the circuit for the current feed to the heating device.
A disadvantage in the arrangement known from DE 20 2005 007 188 is that wear of the contact elements can occur, whereby a customer service operation may accordingly become necessary.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to further develop a refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit of the initially named kind such that the heating device is made in a maintenance-free manner or at least in a low-maintenance manner.
This object is solved by a refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit having the features of claim 1. Provision is accordingly made that means for the transmission of the power required for the operation of the heating device are provided which work in accordance with the principle of inductive power transmission. In accordance with the invention, the technology of inductive power transmission is used to transfer the power required for the operation of the heating device from the carcass to the heating device. The connection is accordingly established electromagnetically and the power transmission thus preferably takes place in a contact-free manner and without additional contacting, whereby no wear problems can result. The use of spring contact pins and contact plates or of other contact elements is not necessary.
A further simplification results in that a switch can admittedly generally be provided, but is likewise not necessary.
The means for the transmission of the power can be arranged such that the power transmission only takes place in one or more specific positions of the cover or of the flap or door, preferably with a completely or largely closed cover of with a completely or largely closed door or flap.
It is likewise conceivable to arrange the means for the transmission of the power such that the power transmission takes place at least regionally independently of the position of the cover or of the door or flap. Provision is thus made in this case that the power transmission takes place at least in a specific region, for example in a partial region of the movement path or in the total movement path of a movably arranged cover of a freezer chest or over a partial angle region or over the total opening angle of a door. In this case, the heating thus not only takes place at a specific position of the cover or of the door or flap, but independently of this.
The means for the transmission of the power can be arranged, for example, such that the transmission only takes place with a completely or largely closed cover or with a completely or largely closed door or flap.
Provision can be made that a first coil is arranged in the carcass of the unit through which current flows and which is connected to a current source. It is, for example, conceivable to arrange the coil in the frame of the unit and to connect it to 230 volt AC voltage by means of a supply line.
Provision is made in a further embodiment of the invention that a second coil is arranged at the cover or at the door or flap of the unit and that a voltage is only induced in said second coil in one specific position or in a plurality of specific positions of the cover or of the flap or door, preferably with a completely or largely closed cover or with a completely or largely closed door or flap, with the second coil being in communication with the heating device such that a current flow takes place through the heating device and the heat operation takes place with an induced voltage in the second coil.
Alternatively to this, it is conceivable that a second coil is arranged at the cover or at the door or flap of the unit and that a voltage is induced in it at least regionally independently of the position of the cover or of the door or flap, with the second coil being connected to the heating device such that a current flow is generated through the heating device by the second coil. The heating can thus take place independently of the position of the cover or of the door or flap.
Provision is made in a further embodiment of the invention that a cut-out, preferably a groove, which is at least partly surrounded by the first coil, is provided in the carcass of the unit.
Provision can also be made that a cut-out, preferably a groove, which is at least partly surrounded by the second coil, is provided at the cover or at the door or flap of the unit.
Provision can be made that the unit has a movably arranged cover and that the groove of the carcass extends in the direction in which the cover is movable. It is equally conceivable that the unit has a movably arranged cover and that the groove of the carcass extends in a direction which extends at an angle, preferably at a right angle, to the direction in which the cover is movable. It is thus, for example, conceivable to arrange the groove in the region of one or both longitudinal sides or end faces of the unit.
Provision is made in a further embodiment of the invention that the unit has a movably arranged cover and that the groove of the cover extends in the direction in which the cover is movable.
It is also possible that the groove of the cover extends in a direction which is at an angle, preferably at a right angle, to the direction in which the cover is movable.
It is particularly preferred if a component (core) is provided at the cover or at the door or flap or if a component is provided at the carcass of the unit which is made of metal or comprises metal and which is arranged such that it is at least sectionally surrounded by the first and second coils with a closed cover or with a closed door or flap.
The component made of metal or comprising metal can be connected to the cover or to the door or flap and can always be surrounded at least regionally by the second coil independently of the closed condition. It can, for example, be arranged such that it is introduced into the cut-out surrounded by the first coil on the closing of the cover, door or flap. As soon as this is the case, a voltage is induced in the second coil which is used to effect a current flow through the heating device and to heat the cover, the door or flap, or their panes, in this manner. It is also possible that the component is located in the cut-out surrounded by the first coil independently of the position of the cover or of the door or flap.
It is also conceivable that the named component is connected to the carcass and is always at least regionally surrounded by the first coil and is arranged such that it is introduced into the cut-out surrounded by the second coil on the closing of the cover, door or flap. In this second case, a voltage is also induced which serves the operation of the heating device. It is also possible that the component is located in the cut-out surrounded by the second coil independently of the position of the cover or of the door or flap.
The heating device can be formed by a heating film located on the pane, for example by a nano-coating.
Provision is finally made in a further embodiment of the invention that the first and/or second coil is firmly cast, which brings about the advantage that no dirty joints can arise in the region of the contacting since additional contact covers are no longer required. It is, for example, conceivable that the first coil is cast in a frame of the carcass made of plastic and that the second coil is cast in a plastic border which surrounds the pane of the cover or of the door or flap.
Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. There are shown:
The second coil 32 is in electrically conductive communication with a heating device which is not shown in any more detail and which is located, for example, at the upper side of the glass plate of the moving cover 20. The heating device can, for example, be a nano-coating.
If, starting from the position shown in
The electrical connection between the second coil 32 and the heating device is preferably established by wires which are not shown in any more detail.
The representations of the second row in accordance with
An advantage of the embodiment shown in
A further particularly advantageous embodiment of a refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with the present invention results from
As stated, the step-shaped shoulder 131 in which the coil 162 is received is located in the rear region of the freezer chest 130. This feature is naturally optional and it is equally conceivable to make the freezer chest 130 without such a step-shaped shoulder.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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20 2006 018 920.3 | Dec 2006 | DE | national |
20 2007 007 344.5 | May 2007 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP07/10965 | 12/13/2007 | WO | 00 | 6/12/2009 |